


The All-Star Academy

by BonDeSoren



Category: PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe - College/University, Boarding School, Comedy, Comical AU, F/M, Gen, Humor, I Can't Believe I Wrote This, My First Fanfic, Originally Posted on FanFiction.Net, School Survival, School crush, Very old work, Why Did I Write This?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-31
Updated: 2017-01-30
Packaged: 2018-09-21 01:32:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 14
Words: 21,077
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9525743
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BonDeSoren/pseuds/BonDeSoren
Summary: Life isn't easy for Nathan Drake, being accepted to a prestigious but mysterious academy doesn't make it any better. Now he must survive the tension and stress of meeting strange new people, a stranger headmaster, and learn to live in the strangest community he's ever known. Join Nate, Sackboy, Cole, and the rest of the cast in The All-Star Academy!





	1. No Ordinary Day

**_No Ordinary Day_ **

"Awww… man!" Drake sighed.

Since getting a letter from a mysterious person, Nathan Drake was skeptical about the "All-Star" thing. Really, to him it was probably one of those scams that lead him to an ambush by one of his many enemies. But the only reason why he was going was because of his mentor and father figure Victor "Goddamn" Sullivan or "Sully" as he was called.

"'Go,'" Drake murmured, "'I bet it's worth the trouble', he said. Why the hell do I listen to you, Sully?" He sighed again and just kept walking.

Drake thought that this world was the craziest place he has ever traveled in his entire life. I mean sure, he's seen crazy things, but this was a hundred percent out of the ordinary. Wandering through a giant hexagon-shaped building that looked like a college building than a "tower" as the letter described. Drake honestly didn't care. He just wanted to find his room. He looked at the letter one more time, just to confirm:

_**Dear Nathan Drake,** _

_**You have been personally been accepted to the All-Stars Academy!** _

_**It is OK, for you shall be meeting other top-notch students from across the PlayStation universe.** _

_**Who knows? You just might be the greatest All-Star of all!** _

_**See you there…** _

_**P.S.** _

_**You will be in Room 135 with three other All-Stars. You don't mind sharing, do you?** _

"OK, so it's Room 135…" he said from the letter, ignoring the rest.

Even though whoever sent the letter didn't even bother to explain them, Drake honestly didn't care. Drake kept looking at the doors and around the building until he'd find Room 135. Apparently, the room was on the 6th floor of the building, the highest peak of the building.

"131…133…Aha!" Drake exclaimed. "Room 135! I knew I'd find it!"

It was a white door with a silver doorknob reflecting his gaze. In gold plating "Room 135" crafted beautifully within its material. Before he could touch the mesmerizing knob, Drake had a shudder down his spine. He felt being watch; he knew he was being watched. He assumed an "All-Star" was playing some joke on him, so he played into it.

"Ok, you guys got me," he chuckled, raising his hands up, "Joke's over. You can come out now."

Silence engulfed the space around him as Drake smiled at the plant behind him. And in a flash, Drake abruptly stopped smiling and was greeted by a raccoon holding an old bent golden cane; dressed in blue coming out of thin air. Drake's eyes opened wide.

"Did I startle you?" the raccoon said in a sarcastic tone.

The raccoon flipped his cane until his cane pointed at Drake's nose. Drake, still shocked, controlled himself and smirked.

"Well, aren't you adorable!" He replied, sarcastically.

The raccoon chuckled. "Heh, heh… How cute… Keep your guard up, newbie."

It was a battle of wits and mouths; Drake could see that this raccoon was no ordinary one. Cool. Confident. Charming. Drake could see himself in that raccoon. It's like looking through a fun mirror.

"Being smart could get you killed," he said, "but if you wanna die, who am I to stop you?"

Drake knew that was a threat, but only smiled. The raccoon walked away, flipping his cane.

"See 'ya…"

The raccoon suddenly went invisible again; nowhere to be seen. Drake grabbed his breath, panting at what he just experienced.

 _What the hell was that?_ Drake thought, _Did that raccoon just talked and wore clothes? All right, to hell with all my adventures, this just takes the cake!_

Drake looked back at the doorknob the Room 135. He was hesitant now to open the door. If he just saw a talking raccoon, then what in God's name will he meet next in that room? Monsters? Madmen? Clowns?

"Shit…" He gasped, "Leave it to Sully to screw up your life… again."

He quickly grabbed the doorknob.

 _This… is it…_ he thought as he turned the doorknob.


	2. Roomies

**_Roomies_ **

The door opened. Drake pushed the door slowly, just in case if a clown jumps on him. Just then, he heard little tiny footsteps.

And with that, Drake felt a soft grip on his left leg. He looked down at his feet to see what it was. It was a small fabricated creature covered with brown leather. It had cute button eyes and a wide smile that said "hello".

Never in Drake's life had he seen such a loveable face. He picked the creature up and rubbed his face on his.

"Oh… Aren't you the cutest thing?" He said.

Yep, Nathan Drake was infatuated by the cute looks of the creature, but then again who wouldn't?

"Well look who came…" said a secretive voice.

Drake stopped rubbing the sack creature's head to see who had said that. He felt as though he was being threatened. His hand was on the concealed pistol; he put down the little creature. Drake was ready. The creature pouted and stomped towards the voice. The creature kicked the guy's foot out of anger, of course it didn't do any damage as expected, but the guy walked towards Drake. Drake flinched. He was a man, no older than Drake, who wore basic clothes but his head was shaved. He had a bag pack holding some sort of weapon. He stared into the eyes of Drake.

"So blue..." Drake thought.

This stare-off lasted at least up to 6 to 7 minutes. Drake began to flinch and shake, while the guy staring at him was still staring at him calmly. Drake felt like he was staring into his soul, penetrating the very insides of his heart.

Eventually, Drake blinked and the guy smirked.

The creature walked up to Drake and pulled his pants. He pointed at him then at his own eye, implying Drake that he lost the staring contest. The creature then turned his sights to the other guy and frowned. He stamped on the ground; the guy smiled and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Sorry, Sackboy…" he said cheerfully.

The creature, known as Sackboy, smiled and hugged his feet.

Drake slumped to the floor, trying to understand just what the hell was going on. He mumbled frantically, moving his hand as if using sign language. Sackboy neither the shaved guy couldn't make out what he was trying to say. Sackboy honestly thought Drake was "broken". The guy was tired of playing charades with Drake, so he walked up to him and put his hand out.

"Hey, get up," he said, "We didn't get to introduce each other. Sorry 'bout that."

Drake raised an eyebrow but grabbed his hand anyway.

The guy smiled, "The name's Cole MacGrath."

They shook hands as Drake was nodding and roughly smiling at Cole. Suddenly he felt a jolt of 400 watts run down his body when their skin came in contact. Drake was spazzing out, moving in and out of place until Cole let go of his hand.

"Sorry!" Cole said, "I should have warned you that I'm a human hand-buzzer."

Cole was about to help him up, but Drake pushed him back, afraid he might get shocked by him again.

"So, what's your name, man?" Cole asked.

Drake snapped out of it. "Huh? Oh! Sorry guy who almost shocked me to death!"

"I said I was sorry…" murmured Cole.

"Ugg… Nate. Nathan Drake. How the hell were you able to shock me?"

"You see… I'm a conduit." Cole rubbed the back of his head.

"What's a conduit?" asked Drake.

"It's a long story… a very LONG story."

"Oh, really?"

"Yeah, really."

Sackboy was turning his head back and forth when one spoke after the other. He ran between the both of them, still turning his head. He tilted his head, confused. He then put a bounce pad down and jumped between them. He wanted to draw the conversation somewhere else. Both men stared at him; up and down Sackboy went, it was somewhat amusing.

Cole came back to himself. "What were we talking about again?"

He patted Drake, knocking some sense back to him.

"I don't know…" Drake finally said, "I was too busy watching the little guy bounce and bounce… and bounce."

Sackboy jumped and twirled around, cheering; it made Cole chuckle. It seemed Drake was indeed having a good time, even though this seemed crazy to have "these" kind of people living with him. At least he knows there's never a dull moment with these guys around. He laughed along with them.

This light-hearted moment could have lasted longer, if it weren't for a loud and angry voice.

"ENOUGH!"

And with that everyone stopped.

Out stepped out of a room a big guy with over-flexed muscles, his skin was snow-white all over with a red tattoo on his right eye moving downwards. He had chains on his arms, wore worn-out slippers and the only thing that seemed to be his clothes was a torn skirt (at least that's what Drake thought). His face, along with his goatee, was fuming with rage.

"BY THE GODS, I'LL KILL YOU ALL!" he screamed.

Everyone just stared at him, they were a bit scared.

He turned around, plugging his ears.

"Cannot the God of War get some slumber around here?" he murmured.

He went back into his room, and slammed the door so hard; it broke a flower-pot and shook the room. Sackboy stuck his tongue out at him.

"Man, what a killjoy, huh Nate?" joked Cole.

But before they knew it, Drake was on the floor, knocked out cold.

* * *

Drake opened his eyes, still drowsy.

"Mornin' Sleepy Head," Cole said.

"Ah…huh…wha…," he murmured, scouting the room, "Where am…"

Cole crossed his legs. "You're in the infirmary, man. You knocked yourself out cold."

He pointed to Sackboy, who was tinkering with the empty bottles.

"And you almost scared poor Sackboy to death. He actually thought you would die and I thought so too… no offense."

Drake chuckled, "Heh, none taken."

Sackboy immediately jumped off the counter and onto Drake's bed. From the look on Sackboy's face, Drake could tell he was not happy with him- NOT happy. Sackboy pulled on Drake's hair, causing him to scream and cuss of the top of his lungs. Cole pulled Sackboy away from Drake, only making Sackboy irate. When he turned to Cole, his face was completely red, and then looked at Drake, his arms outstretched and clenched into fists. Drake backed away.

Cole sighed, "Sackboy, now I know you're angry only because Drake scarred you, but does that mean you have to pull his hair off?"

Sackboy frowned and put his head down. He knew Cole was right. He came up to Drake and patted his head, a way of apologizing. Drake smiled and patted his head back.

"Hell, it's OK. After all, you were worried about me, that's all."

Sackboy smiled and hugged Drake. Never in Drake's life has he felt such a warming feeling other than this, where people (besides Sully and Elena) cared for him, like family. It warmed his heart up a bit that there were people here who cared about him.

Tears were running down Drake's face, but smiling as well as crying. _Damn it, Nate, Don't cry. Not in front of Sackboy. He wouldn't like that,_ he thought.

"Hey, man," Cole said, "You cryin'?"

"No, it's just allergies, that's all." Drake replied, blushing.

Sackboy pulled out a handkerchief from his magical popit and gave it to Drake.

"Yeah, thanks," Drake said, taking the handkerchief.

Sackboy smiled even wider when Drake blew his nose. Cole grinned, poking fun of Drake's crying while Drake just laughed. The two of them later laughed with him. Later, Drake stopped laughing.

"Hey," he said, "Where's the other guy?"

Cole and Sackboy stopped laughing, looking at each other then back to Drake.

"Oh, Kratos? He didn't want to see you," Cole replied plainly, "He hates mortals…"

 _So that was Kratos? Shit, was he ripped,_ Drake thought.

Sackboy raised his fists and was pretending to scream. He was mimicking Kratos.

"Yep, that's Kratos for 'ya!" Cole chuckled.

They were laughing again until a beeping sound was heard.

" _Attention everyone, it's lunch time! Today's Dish of the Day is roasted duck dipped in honey with strawberry shortcake. Various drinks available."_

It was the daily lunch announcement. Drake was licking his lips. He couldn't believe the lunch they served here ( _Then again, it IS a prestigious academy…_ He thought).

Cole grinned, "All right, lunch! C'mon Sackboy, we gotta get to the dining hall before everyone else!"

Cole leaped from his chair and ran out the room. Sackboy pulled on Drake's hand, urging him to come too.

"Don't worry, Sackboy," Drake assured, "You go ahead. I'll catch up later."

Sackboy showed concern but still smiled and ran out the door.

Drake laid back in bed, turning his head towards the window. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, smiling.


	3. Chapter 3

**_Friends, Foes, & a Food Fight!_ **

Drake was amazed by how large and elegant the dining hall was. It was a lengthy room, draped with blue curtains complementing the huge windows. The walls were yellow with small white loop-like décor. The tables were round with four wooden chairs for each table and white-laced cloth covering the tables. A giant glass chandelier was hanging over his head. Even the carpet and silverware was so elegantly detailed.

Drake, still shocked, slowly walked in looking around. The people sitting around were not at all what Drake was thinking. He saw Sackboy, wearing a napkin around his neck, happily eating his food with a white cat, beanie-wearing dog, and a kid with multi-colored spiked hair. A little girl with glowing yellow eyes came and sat next to the spiked-haired kid.

At another table, he saw the blue-dressed raccoon, purposely mocking the green-haired guy and his ridiculously long ears. The guy's talking weasel ( _Wait… talking?!_ ) was urging him to teach the raccoon a lesson and not to piss them off. There was an orange-furred cat-like creature sitting between them. He seemed to be ignoring both and paying more attention to his green-eyed robot, who was reading a newspaper.

Then he saw Kratos, guzzling the duck with two others. One was wearing black armor and red eyes, writing something on a stack of papers, the other was a masked clown with fire for hair ( _Clowns… I HATE clowns…_ ). The clown was talking about a joke involving an ice-cream truck and a pink escalade, but no one at his table seemed to care.

"Hey, Nate!" Cole called.

He waved his hand at Drake, asking him to come over. There were two others at Cole's table staring directly at Drake. Drake sat at the table and already, a honey-dipped roasted duck with some light-decent beer in a small cup and water in a wine-cup were sitting in front of him. The smell was so tempting; he couldn't help it.

"I saved you one," Cole said.

"Oh, thanks!" Drake replied, duck stuffing in his mouth.

Cole leaned over to him, "Yeah, you owe me one," he whispered with an evil smirk.

 _Damn it!_ Drake thought. He hates 'I O U's'.

"Well Nate," Cole clapped his hands, "I'd like for you to meet my friends."

Drake examined Cole's 'friends'. One wore a black trench coat with a white tank top, a pair of jeans and combat boots. The side-burns of his black hair were shaved off.

"Say 'hey' to Dante!"

Dante put his feet on the table. "Sup?"

"Uh… hi?" Drake replied.

"And that guy's Raiden. Be warned," Cole said sarcastically, "he can be a bit moody."

Raiden grunted and stared the other way. "Screw you, Cole…"

His entire body was all robotics and carried a metal sword. Raiden had a bandage on his right eye, like and eye patch. Only his face appeared to be somewhat human. His hair was straight-up gray.

"Hey," Drake regained his confidence, but Raiden ignored Drake.

 _Rude much…_ Drake thought.

Drake honestly thought that everyone was somehow into cosplay but he just let it slide, after all crazy shit happens here.

"Guys," Cole said, "this is Nathan Drake, y'know? The guy I was telling you guys about?"

Dante scrambled for a moment and slammed both his hands on the table. "This guy? This guy's Nathan Drake? THE Nate Drake?"

Dante peered into Drake's eyes, the same way Cole did.

 _Why the hell does everybody do that? It's freakin creepy!_ Drake thought, leering away from Dante.

Dante laughed hysterically. "He's just a lame old human! 'Thought Polygon would give us a dude worth the effort. How lame could this day get?"

He slouched back in his chair and sighed with disappointment. Drake was offended.

"Well, at least I'm not a dumbass punk!" He said, crossing his arms.

Dante gasped and fell right out of his chair and Raiden actually took notice. Dante slammed his hands on the table, this time pissed off.

"Wanna fight?" He pulled out his pistols and aimed for Drake, "You got one, Jackass!"

"Come at me, you big ugly bitch," Drake replied, pulling out his own pistol.

"Come on guys," Cole was forced to play peacemaker, "Let's just forget about—"

Just then Drake grabbed Cole's slice of strawberry shortcake and threw it at Dante. Dante ducked, and instead hit Sweet Tooth, the clown, in the back of the head.

"That was a dirty trick you pulled there…" he growled.

Drake pretended to be the victim of the attack. Sweet Tooth blamed Dante, but Dante denied. Sweet Tooth only became more infuriated, which caused him to grab Col. Radec's shortcake and throw it at Dante. Dante also ducked that one, hitting Jak instead.

"HEY! WHO THREW THAT?!" He demanded.

Sly and Ratchet giggled. They thought it was pretty funny.

"That's a nice look for you, Jak," Sly said.

"You should wear that at parties," Ratchet continued.

Clank laughed and pointed at Jak.

"Oh, so you guys think it's SO funny," Jak replied.

He grabbed his half-eaten duck and shoved it into Ratchet's mouth.

"Here, chew on that!" he exclaimed.

Sly grabbed a jar of honey and splashed it all on Jak.

"Ahhh! You son of a—" before he could continue, Sly had a bag of flower and threw that at him too.

Sly laughed at the both of them until Toro threw a pie at his face.

"Ha! Gotcha!" He exclaimed.

Suddenly PaRappa jumped on his table food in his hands exclaiming "FOOD FIGHT!"

And then it began.

Chunks of food bits were flying in the air, hitting people and things in its path. Radec managed to leave the room in one piece with his papers. Kratos grabbed the entire food table and threw it at everyone. Some got hurt, others were still going. Drake and Cole took cover behind a table.

"You know," said Cole, "if we don't make it through this, I just want you to know… you're damn crazy!"

"Yeah, and you think you're a saint?" he replied.

Sackboy had a food ball grenade and threw it at the two of them. Both Drake and Cole yelled like little girls and dodged when their cover was blown up.

It was amazing how Raiden was still sitting at his table, untouched by food. He stood up and gently pushed Dante.

"Stop. Just… stop," he put his two fingers on his forehead.

"He started it," Dante said, pointing at Drake.

"Yeah and I will end it," yelled PaRappa, charging at Dante with a fist full of cake.

"EAT UP, douchebag!" PaRappa said as he threw the cake into Dante's face (it looked like something you would see at a basketball game).

"Score one for the boys back home!" said Spike as he jumped in the air.

Raiden was silent until he sighed again.

He pointed at Dante who tried to swallow the forced cake, "You… I'm used to, but you," he pointed at Drake on the floor, "you have the balls to 1-up Dante… I like you. Don't blow it."

His sword was raised at Drake, who nervously smiled and raised his hands up.

"Get the hell outta the way, Raiden," Dante growled, "This guy—"

"Dante," Raiden's voice began to lower, "I'm getting pissed the hell off by you. You _will_ shut the hell up, now."

Dante frowned, "Oh yeah? What are you gonna do about it?" he had his pistols aimed for him now, but Raiden immediately got behind him, his sword up to Dante's throat.

"Demon or not, I will cut you down into little pieces and feed you to the dogs, so help you, God," Raiden whispered in Dante's ear.

Knowing Raiden when he's serious, he's f—king serious. Dante had no choice. He stowed away Ebony and Ivory, his pistols, and sat quietly at the same table. Eventually, Cole got up and sat down there and when Raiden dared turn his head towards Drake, he scrambled to his seat, no questions asked. Raiden was the last to sit down and took a sip of his vin de rouge. Silence echoed within the dining hall as all eyes were set on the four of them. Of course, Dante like the attention, but Drake slouched back in his chair. He hoped for everyone to stop staring at him, but the spotlight was on him and he really didn't want to share it with Dante of all people.


	4. First Impressions

**_First Impressions_ **

_Hey Sully,_

_Remember when you said that coming to the Academy was "worth it"? Yeah, hell you were you wrong._

_Already my first day at the academy and almost everyone HATES ME! Yesterday, I met this raccoon and he was wearing clothes and talking. He was almost like me in a way (and I think I'm losing my sanity…) and I kind of got in a fight with this jackass named Dante; I couldn't help but throw the cake at him. But instead it hit Sweet Tooth, then Jak, and then… you get the point, a food fight started. I can see it in everybody's eyes that they all have a death wish for me… I'll tell you, it sucks balls. The Headmaster said we had to clean up the ENTIRE dining hall before any of us could go to bed. I'm still wondering why the hell I'm writing this to you when my ass needs some sleeping…_

_However, today I met Cole MacGrath and Sackboy. They're my "roomies" and you would not believe what they can do. Cole's a conduit (don't ask); he's like an electric man who can control electricity and ice. I should know… he shocked me when we shook hands. Sackboy is a living, breathing rag doll who can create anything he wanted—ANYTHING. I mean he cleaned the dining room with just one click! Literally! ONE click! He's also the cutest guy I've ever seen or he could be just staging… I also got this other roommate named Kratos, let me tell you he can be as scary as all hell when he wants to._

_Anyways, when I get back home, prepare for your ass to get stomped._

_Best regards,_

_Nate_

Monday. Everybody hates Mondays. Drake was sleeping on his side of the room with a pillow covering his face. After clicking 'Send' on their computer, he just threw himself to his bed and drifted away into Dreamland. It was 5:30 on a Monday morning when he was abruptly awoken by Sackboy holding a blow horn.

"WAAAHHH!" he shrieked, falling out of bed, "The hell's wrong with you?!"

Before he could rage, Sackboy was wearing a tucked-in white dress shirt under a blue blazer with blue plaid pants, dress shoes, and purple plaid bow tie. His blazer had some sort of crest and was holding a bag pack in one hand and a kiddie sailor hat in the other. Drake just stared at him. Sackboy looked… good.

"Awww… how cute!" Drake forgot the wretched blow horn.

"You awake yet, Nate?" Cole called from the bathroom.

"Yeah, what's with Sackboy and the uniform?"

"Oh, that? 'Thought you would already know..."

"What…?" Drake murmured.

"Hold on… _stupid tie…_ " Cole said, grunting.

Sackboy left a blue gift bag on Drake's side table and waited for Cole. Drake had a theory, but he wouldn't say.

"Sorry… Damn tie wouldn't straighten," Cole said as he came from the bathroom.

Cole was wearing the same attire as Sackboy except the buttons on his blazer were not all buttoned in, he was wearing a plain purple plaid tie and it was slightly loosened. He also had a messenger bag with the crest on it as well.

Drake's theory was, unfortunately, right: uniforms. At the All-Star Academy, everyone has to wear the school's uniform, no excuses, and no acceptation. When Drake checked the gift bag Sackboy left, he threw it at the wall and crossed his arms.

"No way!" he exclaimed.

"It's the welcoming gift from the Headmaster," Cole said, "This is your new PS Vita and your new uniform. Polygon says you should try it on to see if it fits."

"I'd rather be in Eddy's stinky shoes than wear… that!" Drake replied.

"DO NOT BE A COWARD, MORTAL MAN!" Kratos said as he strolled past their room.

He was wearing the uniform as well, only the sleeves were ripped off and the shirt was open.

"I'm not doing it. You can't make me." Drake said.

Cole and Sackboy stared at each other with annoyed faces, then at Drake. He had no choice. Suddenly Cole and Sackboy grabbed Drake and dragged him out of bed. They threw him into the shower, brushed his teeth, and made him put on the uniform.

"Alright Nate, you can come out now," Cole mused cheerfully.

Sackboy clasped his hands and shook his pelvis around.

"I… don't wanna," Drake replied.

"Come on, we all had to do it."

Drake sighed, "Fine! But I'm not happy about it."

He stepped out of the bathroom. His uniform was the same as Cole's, except the tie was straightened and the blazer was all buttoned up. He blushed and face palmed himself.

"You guys…" he growled.

"I know you hate it. Join the club," Cole remarked.

Sackboy hugged himself; he liked the uniform.

"C'mon. Let's go to the dining hall and get a bite to eat."

The three of them were walking through the hallway. It was very quiet, everyone must have been downstairs. Instead of taking the stairs, they decided to take the elevator.

"It's faster," Drake said pushing the sixth-floor button.

They waited until a delightful _ding_ sound from the elevator came. The door opened and inside was the white kitty, struggling to tie his bow tie. They walked in and Drake pressed the third-floor button. The elevator began to go down. Instead of walls, the elevator walls were replaced with glass, giving away a beautiful view of the school's courtyard and clock tower. The cat tried to tie his bow tie but he kept failing. Cole then knelt to his level and grabbed his tie.

"Here, let me help you," he said smiling.

He tied the cat's bow tie and the cat bowed.

"Thank you, Cole!" the cat exclaimed.

"You're welcome, Toro," Cole replied, bowing.

Sackboy hugged Toro.

"Hi, Sackboy!" Toro said.

Toro was then staring at Drake, who was looking outside the glass walls.

"Hi, mister! Hey, you're the guy who hit Sweet Tooth and started the food fight!"

"Heh, heh… that was me alright… that was me…" Drake said. His smile seemed to say otherwise.

"I just wanted you to know," Toro said, "that everyone might hate you, but I don't hate you, mister."

 _Yeah, that makes me feel a lot better…_ Drake thought, but he only smiled.

"I'm Toro Inoue! Nice to meet you, Nathan Drake-San!" Toro bowed a gesture of respect.

"Uhh… thanks," Drake replied, but Cole smacked the back of his head.

"Hey!"

"Bow your ass. Toro's giving you his utmost respect… you know? It's Japanese culture," he whispered.

Drake grunted but bowed to Toro. Sackboy clapped enthusiastically and Toro smiled.

"So Toro," Cole asked, "why were you in the elevator tying your bow when you could have just gone to the dining hall and tied it there?"

Toro looked down and twiddled his hands. "Heihachi told me that I couldn't eat until I tie my bow right—"

"That's a load of bullcrap!" Drake interrupted, "I don't know who this Heihachi guy is, but whatever he said was bullcrap!"

Everyone just stood silent. Even Drake didn't know what came over him; he barely even knows Toro yet he's already defending him like he was a life-long friend. Cole smiled lightly and looked to the side. Sackboy clapped his hands like he gave an inspirational speech. The elevator dinged again and the doors opened to show the freshly cleaned dining hall. It was like a food fight never happened yesterday.

Toro and Sackboy ran to the line to get their food. Drake was about to step out of the elevator but Cole put his hand on his shoulder.

"Keep that up, Nate," he simply said walking past him.

Drake didn't understand what Cole meant, but filling his stomach was his first priority. He got his plate, got his food, and sat down with Cole, Raiden, and to his disappointment, Dante. He ignored him and paid attention to Cole and his new 'friend', Raiden. They were also wearing the same uniform, but Dante's attire was worse than Cole's.

"Class starts at 7:30," Raiden said, drinking milk.

"We got time," Cole replied, eating a hash brown.

 _Classes?_ Drake thought, "Wait, we have to take classes?"

Before either of them could speak, an announcement from the intercom rang.

" _Nathan Drake and Dante to my office after breakfast. Now."_

"Oh, great," Dante said, "I'm in trouble… again, damn it."

"Why is it that you always have to get yourself in trouble, Dante?" Raiden sighed casually. He and Cole were used to him getting in trouble almost every day.

"It's not my fault this time. Nate's also in trouble."

Drake slouched in his chair. It's already bad enough the other All-Stars despise him; it would be even worse if the head of the school kicked him out on the second day. Dante stood up and put his hands in his pockets. He walked off without saying a word to them. Drake stood up; head bowed, and followed Dante's lead. Looking back, Cole put a thumb up. It made him feel better, but not _a whole lot_ better. And together, both men left the dining hall.


	5. Meeting With The Headmaster

_**Meeting with the Headmaster** _

While walking through the halls, neither Drake nor Dante uttered a word towards each other. Drake wanted to apologize, but Dante was not the kind of guy to take "sorry" too well. Then Dante stopped with Drake behind and to their gaze they saw a brown door with a light tinted window. On the window was "Headmaster Polygon" written in bold, blue letters. Hanging on the doorknob was a sign saying "Please knock first." Dante opened the door anyways and both stepped in.

"Have you ever heard of knocking?" a voice creped.

The room was hexagon-shaped and blue with three large windows. It was draped in fancy curtains with the same crest stitched on. There were weird antiques everywhere. Dante walked forward, sat in a comfy chair and laid his feet on the desk. When Drake walked in, he accidentally knocked a stand over and the porcelain vase fell off. Drake dived for the vase and caught it on time.

"What a catch!" the voice exclaimed as he turned his chair around.

"Huh?" Drake looked up.

To his surprise (and dismay) a giant floating head with yellow eyes stared right at him.

"I knew you were good but I'd never thought you'd have the reflexes to catch that vase."

Drake tried to crack a smile "Heh, heh, me neither…"

"Can we get on with this?" Dante interrupted.

"Oh! Excuse me, for I can be a talkative one!" the head said, quickly shooting a glare at Dante, "My apologies for not introducing myself when you first arrived."

He paused to let Drake speak but said nothing. So, the head continued.

"My name is Polygon-Man, headmaster of the PlayStation All-Star Academy." He bowed his head, "It is a pleasure to meet you, Nathan Drake. I've heard a lot about you."

Drake chuckled nervously. He was still on the part about a floating head talking to him.

"Come. Please sit!" Polygon said joyfully.

The chair levitated to Drake, forcing him to sit on it.

"So, I heard about you and Dante's stand-off in the dining hall—," he said unmoved.

"It was Nate's fault! He threw the cake!" Dante explained, but Polygon ignored him.

 _I'm in trouble now. Aw hell, I'm gonna be kicked out for sure!_ Drake thought. Beads of sweat were running down his face.

"Thank goodness for Raiden, though. If it wasn't for him, there would've been blood in the dining hall and I just refurnished it, too."

Drake could tell that Polygon was into the finer things in life. The vase, the windows, the plates ( _what's with me and the damn silverware?_ )—it's obvious the headmaster had a taste for the elegant and expensive.

"Don't mind Dante," Polygon added pushing Dante's feet off his desk, "He was always like that and I don't expect to see improvements with him."

He stared at Dante, who was playing puppet with his hands until he noticed him.

"Dante," he said, "this must be your third—no fourth—DAR this week."

He handed Dante a red slip. Dante gasped in horror and stood up.

"Your making me do community service… again?!" he asked in anger.

"Detention is too good for you, Dante. Besides, I see you work hard in community service than I do in any of you classes. You should be thanking me." Polygon said.

"But that's not—"

"Fair? Of course, it's not." He said smiling.

Dante wanted to do something, but he just cursed and then stomped out of the office. Drake was surprised how blunt the headmaster was.

"Someday, he will learn… Oh! Sorry Nathan and I am truly sorry for that mishap at the dining hall." Polygon man said.

Drake shrugged, "Hey, it's not your fault."

"Nathan," Polygon said, "You should take this opportunity as a privilege. You were accepted into such an academy as this, whereas there were many other candidates, even one who shared the same name as you. You cannot request yourself here. Only I choose who will attend."

A pause in his speech, then he floated around and continued.

"Here at the All-Star Academy, we take pride in being PlayStation All-Stars. Only the best, brightest and unique of the PlayStation universe can attend here."

"Uhh… Headmaster Polygon, with all due respect, if you chose all these people why did you choose me? I'm not exactly the 'best, brightest, or unique.' I actually think I'm the opposite of those." Drake said.

Now looking at it, Drake didn't think he belonged here. Out of all, he was the most normal. People like Cole and Sackboy belong here, but he didn't.

"Nathan, it was because of your normality that I chose you. While I chose All-Star students because they're unique, you stand out because you intentionally don't mean to," Polygon explained, "Embrace yourself, Nathan."

Drake felt a sense of self-worth now. Even though he still didn't believe and liked Polygon saying "his normality is his uniqueness", he took it as a word of advice. Yes, maybe he should embrace himself, "PlayStation Pride", and he should be grateful Polygon chose him out of so many. He is an All-Star student, no matter who says otherwise. He smiled to himself.

Then the headmaster leaned in closer, "And if I were you, I would make some friends. You'll thank me later."

The clock tower rang; Polygon stared at the clock. 7:00, thirty minutes left until class started.

"Oh, fascinating how time flies! You better get to class," he said.

"Yeah, I should!" Drake rushed through the door.

"Chao, Nathan!" Polygon called from behind.

Drake quickly waved back as he was sprinting. He looked at his watch. 7:15…

"Oh crap!" he exclaimed, "I'm gonna be late for class!"

And with that, he raced to beat the bell.


	6. A Very Interesting Class

**_A Very Interesting Class_ **

"Dante!" Drake called.

Dante was just about to walk into the Grand Hall. It was the biggest door in the school with its name carved in gold plating. He stopped and stared at him, giving him an evil eye.

"What do you want?" he snapped.

"Just wanted to say I'm sorry," Drake replied.

To be honest, Drake felt bad for Dante. He knew he didn't get in trouble because he's a "newbie". Dante, for being here for too long, had to do community service and it pissed him off. Drake understood where Polygon was coming from, but if he were in Dante's shoes he'd rather be in detention.

"I don't want your dumb sorry," Dante said, opening the door.

The doors were already opened. It was a huge lecture room with dimmed lights. Class hadn't started yet, so everyone passed the time somehow until it did start.

"You're so lucky this ain't gym class…" murmured Dante.

The both of them walked in. Drake sighed and shrugged his shoulders; there isn't anything he could do now about Dante. The best thing to do is to see if it'll all work out if it actually will. Around him, everyone was doing their own thing. Ratchet was organizing his binder while Clank was already taking notes on today's lecture. Sly was bored, yawning most of the time and Jak was blowing a piece of paper on his face. When Sly noticed Drake, he whispered something to Jak and laughed quietly. Drake frowned; he wanted to know what that ingrate raccoon had to say about him.

Radec was alone, writing as usual. He always separated himself from the rest, writing, and nobody will ever know what he truly thinks. He was okay until Spike and PaRappa sat with him. Spike seemed well-prepared for today's lecture, while PaRappa was clearly unprepared.

Kratos was alone. He was on the far right of the room, loathing everyone else. Sweet Tooth wanted to join him but Kratos scared him away.

In the end, everyone was waiting for the instructor to arrive.

Drake sat next to Cole and Raiden. Both of them had a notebook and at least two pencils. Cole was reading a comic book until he noticed Drake.

"Hey, Nate. Didn't see you there," Cole said.

"Hey," Drake replied, "so, what kind of class is this? A boring lecture?"

"Yes and no," Cole said closing the comic book.

"They're PS Classes," Raiden continued.

"PS Classes?" Drake asked.

"You know? PlayStation lectures. We learn about the history and trivia of the PlayStation universe. Everyone has to take them."

Drake was so confused on what PS Classes were, but he would wait for the instructor to see what the class environment was like. Just then, a trap door opened and rising from below was a blonde hair guy wearing a red suit. There were fireworks popping around him.

"Hello, ladies and gentleman! This is Buzz!"

 _Oh, you gotta be shittin' me…_ Drake thought.

All the lights were on Buzz. The little ones clapped and cheered (with the acceptation of PaRappa, who booed and hissed). The whiteboard switched into a touchscreen-enabled flat screen. A remote control fell from the sky, landing in Buzz's hand.

"Welcome back to class! I'm sure _most_ of you studied right?" Buzz said.

Some were confident in their work done, others… not so much.

"And I see we have a new student!" Buzz exclaimed.

He hit the big, red button on the remote control. It activated a spotlight that shined directly at Drake. He was nearly blinded by the light and the little ones clapped, even PaRappa. Sly was also clapping rather very slowly, smirking at Drake. Half the class either clapped or not at all.

"What's your name, Kid?" Buzz asked.

He held a microphone up to Drake's face, "Uhh… Drake—Nathan Drake, I mean!"

"Nice to meet 'ya, Nathan Drake!" Buzz said, "'you mind if we call you 'Nate' or 'Drake' or 'Nate Drake' or say "NNNaaattteee!'?"

"I really don't care…?"

"Well I'm just gonna call you Nate," he concluded.

He was back on his podium.

"psst… Cole," whispered Drake, "is the Buzz guy always like that?"

"Every day," Cole replied.

"Now before we start today's lesson-Quick! Sweet Tooth!" Buzz pointed at Sweet Tooth, "Who runs the Freaky Monkey Five?"

The spotlight was on him. Sweet Tooth had to answer. In the limelight, he was sweating and stammering, struggling to come up with an answer.

"30 seconds left! You'd better think of something!" Buzz mused.

"Gah… uhh… uhhhh..." Sweet Tooth stumbled until a word finally came "24?"

A buzz sound rang. Suddenly a plate of pie hit Sweet Tooth, knocking him out of his chair. The class was laughing.

"You give idiots a new name out there!" Buzz said clapping.

 _So_ _this_ _is how the classes run?!_ Drake thought.

"Okay, everyone! Time to turn in you weekly essays!" Buzz said.

Cole and Raiden pulled out their papers and set them out for Buzz to collect. Since Drake's new, this couldn't be applied to him. Everyone else either turned in their essays completed, partially completed or not at all.

"Now, let's start today's lecture," Buzz said.

He was in front of the touch-board reviewing the lesson from Friday. Drake saw that most everyone was taking notes of some kind. He stared at Raiden's notes for some time until he moved his notes away from Drake. He must have wanted his privacy that badly. When staring at Cole's notes, occasionally he'd write a note or two down then doodle something in his notebook.

Sackboy, who was sitting up in front, was doodling but at the same time taking notes. Drake noticed that Sackboy used the Cornell note-taking system and his notes were very detailed. Spike also had good notes and PaRappa only doodled. He was apparently drawing a picture of an over-exaggerated Fat Princess and labeled it "Fatty", Buzz with big lips, and Headmaster Polygon with a large, black, bushy unibrow and labeled it "Stupid Purple Head".

Dante, sitting behind Drake wasn't taking notes. Instead, he was staring at Nariko's… yeah. Nariko was drawing hearts around something in her notebook. Radec was still writing (no surprise) and Kratos broke his fourth pencil. Sweet Tooth was trying to get all the pie off his face. Ratchet and Sly were writing notes, but Jak was busy with Daxter, who was writing random stuff in his notebook. He wanted his notebook back. Drake had to get to it with his notes.


	7. Indie Park Promise

**_Indie Park Promise_ **

Drake was at the library, studying alone. For the last couple of days, he's gotten used to the academy. He's meeting new friends, coping with his classes (even gym class!) and he knows the school from top to bottom. He was reading and writing his daily essay until his phone began to ring. He stumbled for it to keep it quiet. The librarian gave him the evil eye. He waved back and checked his phone. It was a text message from Cole.

_Cole: Meet me on the balcony. Sackboy and I have something to show you. :-)_

_Nate: Now? I'm at the library studying._

_Cole: If u don't want to come, that's fine._

Drake stared at the librarian, sleeping.

_Nate: Wait, I'll come._

_Sackboy: :DDD_

Drake carried his books and tiptoed out the library. He walked up the stairs (since the elevator doesn't go to the balcony) until he finally reached the balcony. Cole and Sackboy were playing chess, with Sackboy winning. Cole flipped the table out of rage when Sackboy flipped his king off with his knight. Checkmate, I suppose. The sky was covered with stars and the balcony gave away a beautiful view of the world outside the academy's walls.

"Nice view…" Drake said, unaware that he was walking towards the edge of the balcony, "WHAAAAAHHH!"

"Whoa!" Cole grabbed Drake by the collar.

Sackboy grabbed Drake by the leg. Drake caught his breath.

"What are you trying to do?" Cole asked, "Walk to your death?"

"No, it's just that the view is… amazing." Drake said.

"I know, that's why we brought you here," Cole said, smiling.

Sackboy tugged at Drake's hand. He pointed beyond the academy and what seemed to be a Ferris wheel. There were lights all over and around the wheel and roller coaster rides as tall as a skyscraper. The sign was red and clearly visible to read: "INDIE PARK!"

"'Indie Park?'", Drake said.

"Oh, Sackboy. You still wanna go to Indie Park don't you?" Cole said.

Since the first day arriving at the All-Star Academy, Sackboy was always eager to go to the amusement park. He always urged Cole to take him, but Cole usually said that he was too busy because of homework and projects. When he tried to talk Headmaster Polygon about Indie Park, Sackboy can remember every word he said about the issue: _Sorry Sackboy, but you need to focus on your studies instead of that amusement park. You can "enjoy amusement" on your own time._

Cole explained this to Drake. Drake stared at Sackboy and felt really bad. Sackboy stared at Indie Park, and then he pulled out a crumpled piece of paper from his pockets. It was the Indie Park brochure. He opened it, revealing the highlights and attractions of the park. All-you-can-eat food court, Fun House of Horrors, carnival kiosks, and the most interesting part, the Ferris wheel—Sackboy touched the picture of the Ferris wheel. He stared at it with deep, affectionate eyes, almost as if he was crying. He then put his hand out towards the amusement park.

Drake was crying uncontrollably, "How could Polygon say that to an innocent face?! He deserves it after all!"

Cole sighed, "Polygon-Man, I guess. He does care about the school's rep. And Sackboy's an Honors Student. If the Headmaster saw one flaw, one slip-up on Sackboy's grades, heh, man would he freak the freak out."

When it came to Headmaster Polygon, pride and perfection was everything. EVERYTHING. He wanted to turn the heroes and villains of PlayStation into sophisticated men and women, regardless of the background they come from. It even was the slogan that the school lived by: _PlayStation—Pride, Perfection, and still the Best._ Arrogant much…

Drake knelt to Sackboy's level, "Sackboy, do you really want to go to Indie Park?"

Sackboy nodded.

"Do you really, really want to go?"

He nodded this time smiling.

"Do you really, really, REALLY want to go?"

"OK, Nate," Cole interrupted, "I think we all know that Sackboy wants to go."

Drake glared at Cole, then looked back to Sackboy, smiling.

"Sackboy, I promise you, we will go to Indie Park and we'll have one hell of a time. It's just you me, and Cole."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Wait a minute! I didn't have a say in this," Cole said.

"Didn't need to," Drake replied.

Cole was about to say something, but he saw Sackboy. He was overflowing with so much happiness that he had to hug Drake. From all the hugs Drake's received from Sackboy, this one was the most affectionate. He was squeezing him tighter than usual.

Sackboy put his pinky finger out. Drake tilted his head, "Eh?"

"It's a pinky promise," Cole said.

Drake smiled and put his pinky out and connected it with Sackboy's, "It's a pinky promise. You can count on that."

Sackboy jumped in the air with excitement. Drake and Cole laughed until the intercom rang.

" _OK everyone, Bedtime! You have to get some good sleep if you want to enjoy tomorrow."_

Sackboy hugged Cole and Drake good night then skipped down the stairs. Drake smiled to himself.

"Hey, you made a pinky promise," Cole said grabbing his stuff.

"Yeah, so what?" Drake replied.

"Break the pinky promise and Sackboy has the right to break your pinky."

"I can live with that."

"What about breaking all 206 bones in your body?"

Drake gulped. He didn't want that to happen.

"What about you Cole?" Drake asked, "Don't you wanna go?"

"Trust me, I do," Cole said, "but I don't want to get in trouble."

"Sometimes break the rules to make the rules."

Cole chuckled, "You're somthin' else, Nate."

They walked in their room, took off their uniforms and went to bed. Nate was dreaming about how the three of them were having so much fun in Indie Park then he remembered the promise. He made a promise—no pinky promise to Sackboy. He just hopes he doesn't blow it real badly.


	8. Newcomers

**_Newcomers_ **

Everyone had to be at the auditorium for a special announcement.

"Hope this announcement's important," Drake said.

"Better be," Cole replied, "We're missing class time for this."

"Please, please!" Polygon said, "Find a seat so we can get started!"

They all took their seats.

"We have some very important news today," he mused, "First of all, we have new students coming to the academy— four, I believe."

Now this made Drake happy. For more than a month, he was the "noob", always being pushed around. Now he'd ranked out of the "newbie" level to a fed-and-bred, full-fledged student.

"Now, when these new students arrive, treat them like they were your own. Remember, here at the All-Star Academy we're all one, big, happy family!" Polygon twirled around uncontrollably.

"More like a dysfunctional one to me… heck, we're worse than the Jackson 5…" PaRappa murmured.

Polygon ignored the comment, "Student Council has the floor."

He backed away for Radec. Student Council was made of six students: Radec, Kratos, Sweet Tooth, Sly Cooper, PaRappa, and Fat Princess. Radec was president, Kratos vice president, Sweet Tooth secretary, Sly treasurer, and PaRappa and Fat Princess were the representatives. However, rumor has it that Fat Princess (Dubbed "Fatty" by PaRappa) bribed Headmaster Polygon into not only Student Council but All-Stardom as well. But it was still juicy gossip to talk about.

Radec walked towards the podium with a stack of notecards.

"Good morning my fellow students," he said. This was the first time Drake's ever heard Radec speak, "The Student Council and I have decided this month's dance/dinner party: Never After."

Everyone clapped and cheered, and then Radec continued.

"It will be a masquerade formal party. There will be wine, dancing, and of course… cake."

Fat Princess cheered hysterically and Radec pinched his eyes then sighed.

"Costumes will be provided and you are permitted to bring guests," he looked at the last notecard then sighed again, "'Come join us under the moonlight…'"

The last sentence had no feeling at all. The theme's idea was Fat Princess's idea, however, it was supposed to be "Ever After" but the rest wanted something more dark and diabolic.

That was all the announcements for today and everyone was back to doing what they were doing. Sackboy was so excited for the party; Cole and Drake were looking forward to the new students.

* * *

Hours passed, during that time a bus entered the gates of the academy. In front of the school Polygon and Sir Daniel Fortesque were waiting and smiling. Out stepped off from the bus a girl holding a cat, two men, and a bearded old man.

"Welcome to the All-Star Academy!" Polygon exclaimed.

Sir Daniel bowed, rolling his head to his hand and then back, chuckling.

The girl and the two men managed to say hello, but the bearded one scoffed and turned his head.

"You must be Emmett Graves, Isaac Clarke, Kat and her cat Dusty, and… Zeus," said Polygon.

"Uhh… yeah," Emmett said.

Isaac just stared. Nobody was sure if he was shocked, confused, or both. Kat paid more attention to the academy, specifically the clock tower. She felt as though it was all from a fairy tale. She gasped and held Dusty tight. Zeus turned his head.

"Come! Come!" Polygon-Man said, "We have a lot to cover!"

They entered. The inside was even more impressive. Emmett, Kat, and Isaac were amazed, but Zeus wasn't impressed; he'd seen better.

"Mind explaining yourselves?" Emmett asked.

"Oh! My apologies! My goodness, I keep forgetting myself!" Polygon responded, "I am Polygon-Man, Headmaster of the PlayStation All-Star Academy. And this," he pointed to Sir Daniel, "is Sir Daniel Fortesque, head chef, night-shift hall monitor, and student."

Sir Daniel murmured "Hello."

"The academy has six floors—well eight if you count the balcony and the basement," Polygon said.

"Fancy stuff 'ya got here," Emmett said.

"How could you afford all this?" Isaac asked, touching the checkered floor.

"Afford? Oh, my dear boy, I created all of what you see," Polygon answered.

Isaac was about to say something, then stopped. "Never mind…"

"Beautiful..." Kat said.

"Let's begin the tour, shall we?" Polygon said.

They were walking through the second and third floors. Class was over by then and everyone else was walking through the halls to get to their next classes. Kat was so fascinated that she forgot herself and bumped into Ratchet.

"Ohh!" Kat said.

"Omph!" Ratchet said.

They both fell; Ratchet's books and papers were everywhere.

"Sorry! Didn't see you there!" they said in unison.

They were picking Ratchet's stuff up until their hands came in contact over a science book. They stared at each other then quickly looked away. Kat blushed and so did Ratchet.

"Uhhh… thanks," Ratchet said, looking down.

"…You're welcome!" Kat caught herself, her face turned red.

"Come now, Kat," Polygon called, "you can mingle later."

"Kat, huh? That's a really nice name," Ratchet said, putting his hand out for Kat to grab.

Kat grabbed Ratchet's hand and he pulled her up. Ratchet waved goodbye and Kat caught up with the group.

During the tour, Polygon received a message from one of the staff members. It was urgent, so he told Sir Daniel to take over from here. Daniel saluted Polygon and continued the tour. Emmett was asking a lot of questions about the academy, while Isaac teased Kat about Ratchet and Zeus was still not impressed. At the end of the tour, Daniel showed them to their room. Kat was concerned—she would be sharing a room with three men.

"Uhh… Isn't that weird?" Kat asked.

Daniel murmured, "It's OK, Pumpkin. I don't think they'll hurt you—well at least those two." He was implying Emmett and Isaac, not Zeus.

Dan said his goodbyes and left the room. Emmett threw his stuff on a bed, claiming it as his own. Isaac wanted the top bunk, but Zeus wanted it too. Kat was sitting on her bed, daydreaming.

"Hey!" Isaac said, "I wanted the top bunk!"

"Too bad, foolish mortal! Only gods deserve the best!" Zeus roared.

"You can't tell me what to do!" Isaac replied.

Zeus came up to Isaac and sneered down on him.

"But I'd like to see you… try," said Isaac, leering away.

Emmett noticed Kat, "Kat…? Kat?"

"Hey Kat, hello? Earth to Kat?" Isaac continued.

"MORTAL GIRL!" Zeus bellowed.

Kat screeched and jumped off the bed.

"You OK? 'Ya look red," Emmett said.

"N-no, I'm fine, really," Kat stammered, covering her face.

"Oh, you're thinking about that guy you bumped into," Isaac said, "Don't tell me you're in LOVE, are you?"

Isaac found Kat's soft spot. He was right, Kat was in love. Kat denied this, but Isaac can tell.

"Kat's in love! Kat's in love!" Isaac teased.

"Dude, act your age…" Emmett murmured.

Kat used her gravity powers to throw a chair at Isaac. He ducked but Kat then threw a lamp at Isaac. He used Kinesis to catch the lamp.

"Whoa!" Isaac said, "Calm down!"

"Calm down? Calm down?!" Kat exclaimed with anger.

"SHUT UP!" Emmett said.

Everyone stopped. Emmett came up to Kat and flicked her forehead. She yelped and held her forehead. Emmett then came up to Isaac and kneed him in the crotch. Isaac fell to the floor, rolling over.

"Both of you get a grip or God help you…" he said menacingly.

"Mortal!" Zeus said, "Like I will vouch for you!"

"Was I talkin' 'bout you?" Emmett asked.

Silence until Emmett continued. "Now get unpackin'. The Headmaster or skeleton man might be comin' back anytime."

Kat, Isaac, and Zeus did just that. While unpacking, little did the four of them know that Drake, Cole, and Sackboy were about to knock on their door. They were going to greet them, but from hearing all that commotion… eh, maybe later.


	9. Out and About- Weekenders

_**Out and About—Weekenders** _

It was Saturday evening. There were no classes today because the All-Star Academy like all schools only has school Monday through Friday. Saturdays and Sundays were given to the All-Stars to do whatever they wanted when they wanted. Whether it was to play games, finish homework, or just hang out, the weekends always belonged to the students.

Drake was in the living room playing with his PS Vita. He's just lying on the couch playing _Escape Plan_ until he received a notification from the All-Star Blog. It was a new blog from the Student Council about the "Never After" party:

_Fellow students, the Never After party will be the next Saturday. We remind you to bring your friends._

_Let's share this dance…~_

_~Student Council_

Drake checked the rest of the blogs; nothing worth talking about—the headmaster's daily agenda, personal blogs, updated blogs, and the works. Drake sighed, but then Sly appeared out of the shadows in front of him.

"Gah!" Drake jumped, "Stop doing that!"

"Heh, that never gets old," Sly snickered.

Drake caught his breath. He hated it when that damn raccoon just randomly appeared. Just who does he think he is?

"Hey, Nate. So what's up?" Sly said.

Drake sneered, "None of your damn business, that's what."

Ok, Ok," Sly said, "No need to be pushy. Sheesh!"

"What're you doing here, anyways? Just here to scare the shit out of me and annoy me? 'Cause you're doing a great job."

"Nah, I just want to chat. May I sit?"

Drake glared at Sly, but he moved over anyway.

"What about your friends?" Drake asked, "They abandoned you?"

"Well, Jak's busy with all the missing/late work and Ratchet's studying. So, it's just me."

"Oh, Ok."

"Look Drake, I'm sorry for what I said on the first day and behind you back. That wasn't… professional of me," Sly explained.

 _Professional?_ Drake thought. "Uhh… yeah, thanks."

This became an awkward moment of silence, Sly and Drake didn't stare at each other. Sly then got off from the couch.

"Well, it was pretty… nice to talk to you, Nathaniel Drake." Sly chuckled and then disappeared.

"Why you—" Drake growled, but before he knew it, Sly was gone.

"Raccoon bastard…!" he exclaimed.

Cole entered the living room just when Drake cursed. He backed away slowly, and that's when Drake noticed him.

"Wait, Cole! _Damn!_ " Drake said.

Cole came back, "Nah, I'm just kidding. So, Sly Cooper pulled another one on you?"

"Yeah…"

Cole patted Drake shoulder, "Well, I think I know what will cheer you up!"

"And that's…?" Drake asked.

"The guys and I are going out and we thought you'd love to come, Nate."

Drake was aroused, "Where're we going?"

"Just crusin'."

Drake grinned, "I'm in."

Drake and Cole left the living room. They strolled past Kat, in her pink pajamas reading a manga.

"'Scuse us," they said.

When they passed, Kat covered her face with the manga. She blushed a bit. Drake and Cole were kind of… cute, handsome, and nice. It would be nice to date one of them, but wouldn't be better if they dated _each other_? These wild fantasies running in her head, after all, she was reading a yaoi manga. Drake and Cole caught up with Raiden and Dante in the garage. The garage had Grand Turismo cars as well as their own cars, like Sweet Tooth's ice cream truck. Dante and Raiden were arguing on what car they should use.

"I wanna use the red mustang! It's fast and stylish!" Dante exclaimed.

"Oh, right, Dante. But black is way better than red. Plus the Forza can go up to 300 miles per hour. That piece of crap you call a car can only go 75 miles per hour."

"DON'T YOU MAKE FUN OF THE MUSTANG!" Dante shrieked.

"Guys!" Drake exclaimed, "Calm the hell down!"

"Couldn't have said it better myself." Cole added.

"Guys, tell Raiden that the mustang is way better than the Forza!" Dante said.

"I don't know, Dante," Cole said, "I gotta admit, the mustang does look like crap."

"Hmmm… I like the Forza better." Drake said.

"We're driving the Forza, Dante." Raiden said.

The three of them got in the Forza. Dante crossed his arms like a spoiled brat. He wasn't going in until they drove the Mustang, but their response was to drive off without him. Dante gasped and chased after the car.

"Wait! Guys! Aww, c'mon! Don't do this!" He called.

Raiden stopped the car. Dante hit the back and fell in face first in the car. His legs were twitching.

"Could've warned me!"

"Oh, where's the fun in that?" Drake asked.

They drove out the garage and were about to drive out the gates until someone came in between them and the gate. It was Sir Dan, wearing a police hat.

"Stop!"

They stopped.

"Where do you think you're going?" he asked, flashing his flashlight.

"Just… crusin', Dan-Man," Cole said, shielding his eyes.

"Hmph!" Dan crossed his arms, "Back in my day, we'd stay at home and take life slow! You young people think you know everything just because you're young and hip. We'll let me tell you something, sonny…"

While Dan was blubbering about whatever he was talking about, Dante suggested they hit-and-run. All three of them thought he was crazy. It's just Dan; he's an old man, a _dead_ old man, but not an old fart like Heihachi or Zeus.

"… and that's why we have rules! And another thing—"

"Dan, we get you," Drake said calmly, "Don't get in too much trouble. We'll try not to."

"See?" Dan said, "This boy gets it! I'm not so sure about the rest of you… especially you." He pointed at Dante.

"What? What did I do?" Dante asked.

"Just make sure you come back at midnight and don't let me hear any excuses!" Dan said.

He opened the gates and they drove out. Drake's seen the city from the balcony, but up front and personal was even better. There were lights everywhere, flashing all sorts of places. There were a couple of girls waving and blowing kisses at the guys while they were driving. Dante made gestures at the girls and the rest waved back.

"So, do you guys do this every night?" Drake asked.

"Of course we do," Cole replied.

"We do it for three reasons: booze, babes, and boobs," Dante said.

"Babes and boobs are _your_ thing, Dante," Raiden said, "but booze? Yeah… that's right."

They parked at a place called the Patapon Sing n' Dance Club and Pub. The Patapons not only had their own club, but some actually worked at the academy. Drake called them "mini-butlers" because they would do anything he told them to do. If he said 'Punch yourself in the face', they'd say 'How hard?'; If he said 'Go jump off a cliff', they'd say 'How high?'. They always addressed the All-Stars as 'Master' or 'Lady'. Polygon hired a majority of them because of cheap labor. Yeah, they would be obedient at all times with little or no pay, but the Patapons didn't mind.

The guys were let in. The karaoke was booming with hype. They sat down at the counter and Dante raised his hand and snapped his fingers for the bartender.

"Hey, Barkie!" he called, "Give us the usual!"

The bartender already had their drinks set up. He passed all four to the guys and Cole gave him a tip, thanking him. Drake smelled the beer; it was awful, but smells could be deceiving. He drank it and his eyes suddenly became dilated.

"Damn! That's good!" he exclaimed.

"I know, right?" Dante said.

"This place has the best beer in town, hands down," Cole said, "It always makes me feel pumped!"

"Now I'm not much of a beer drinker, but this stuff's always was my guilty pleasure," Raiden added.

"You know what?" Drake grinned.

Judging from the look on his face, the guys could already tell he was drunk from one sip, but then again they too were intoxicated by the effects. They put up their beers.

"LET'S GET WASTED!" they exclaimed.

For the rest of the night, they just drank, sang and hit on girls. It was 1:00 and the guys drove around town, even though they were still drunk and they needed to get home. They howled at the moon like wolves, got in trouble with the police twice, and crashed the car into a tree and another car. They eventually were escorted home by an angry Carmillita Fox. Dan, luckily, was in bed.

"I don't want to see you driving around town drunk again, got it?" She growled.

"Don't worry, little kitty. We won't," Drake said, still drunk.

She grunted then drove off. The guys walked into the academy. Raiden said goodbye to Drake and Cole and entered his room. Drake and Cole entered their room.

"Hey, hey, hey!" they said, hiccupping.

"MORTALS! WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN!?" Kratos yelled.

"'Ya know, Kratos?" Cole said, "I've been thinking—" before he could say anything else he passed out.

"Cole? You with me man?" Drake asked.

Sackboy wrote something on a piece of paper. Drake read it.

"'Go to bed, guys. You're drunk.' Aww, now? We just got—" He passed out too.

* * *

The next morning, Drake woke up, feeling horrible, "Uggg… Cole, you awake? I can't remember shit…"

"Yeah, I'm up." He didn't look any better, "It's amazing how alcohol make you feel great, but then—"

"You feel like crap the next day?"

"Yeah…"

They both moaned.

Raiden was in the breakroom with a full cup of coffee. Spike and PaRappa came up to him.

"Morning, Raiden!" they said.

"Uggg… do you have to speak so loudly?" he replied.

"Sorry, but I feel we're forgetting something," Spike said.

What they didn't know was Dante was still at the pub, sleeping.

"Nah, it's not that important," PaRappa implied.


	10. Preparing to Party!

**_Preparing to Party!_ **

Raiden was at the bulletin board checking out the news, but one particular post caught his eye. Drake, Cole, and Dante caught up behind him.

"Yo, Raiden!" Dante called.

"Hey, how's it going?" Cole asked.

"Fine, I guess. Hey, check this out. We're getting some new faces—a lot of 'em." Raiden said, pointing at the board.

The post read:

_Hello, Students!_

_This is your headmaster speaking with a confirmed list of new (that's right, more!) students attending the academy:_

_Tomas "Sev" Sevchenko_

_Nathan Hale_

_Chimera_

_Raven_

_Katamoru_

_Iota_

_Knack_

_Sackgirl_

_Kulele_

_Patapon_

_Dart Feld_

_Ellen_

_Demios_

_Delson Rowe_

_Crash Bandicoot_

_Spyro_

_Joel_

_Elle_

_Kutaro_

_Also, the costume set for the 'Never After' Party has arrived! Choose wisely, though! First come, first served!_

_That is all the announcements for today. Have a great day~!_

_Headmaster Polygon-Man_

"Wow, that's a pretty big list," Drake said.

"The more the merrier, I guess," Cole replied.

The bell was ringing; it was the fifteen-minute warning to get to class. The four waved and rushed to their classes. Drake and Cole were in Japanese class writing a typical Japanese letter. Apparently, Japanese (along with French and Latin/Spanish) were mandatory classes to take at the academy. To Drake, this was like his self-teachings all over again, but Cole was like a natural at speaking Japanese. He says it was because of Toro tutoring him that he got from a low D to a high B in the class. During class, Drake got a letter from the Japanese teacher.

"huh…?" He said.

"What's that?" Cole asked.

"I don't know…"

"Detention, maybe?"

"Uggg… Hell no." Drake moaned as he opened the letter.

It was the Honors Society/Advance Placement Report. Drake was informed that because of his high-standing grades and outstanding work, he was accepted into the Honors Society and had a score of 4/5 on the placement test, the passing requirements for Honors students.

"Nice, Nate," Cole patted Drake's back, "You're in the big leagues now. Good luck."

"Yeah, thanks," Drake remarked.

After school Drake, Cole, Sackboy, and the others were in the dressing room, choosing a costume. Sackboy kept looking through the hangers, only to make nasty faces at the small-sized costumes then throwing them everywhere. When Sackboy threw a pair of jeans at Drake's face, Drake had to say something.

"Hey Sackboy, do you really have to be so picky? I mean it's just a costume party."

Sackboy looked at Drake then a light bulb appeared above his head—literally. He chose the Skeleton Boy costume from his popit with a wedding tuxedo but changed the bowtie to a neon blue color that could glow in the dark. Drake's left eye twitched as he stared at Sackboy.

"Sackboy likes to be the life of the party. Without him, the party's dead. Just dead," Cole said, looking through the tuxedos.

Ratchet was searching through the sea of costumes.

"Hey, Ratchet," Sly called, "How do I look?" He twirled around in a blue tuxedo… without any pants.

"Uhhh… Sly," Ratchet liked the tuxedo, he just felt uncomfortable with the 'no pants'.

"Uggg! Sly! Put on some pants!" Jak exclaimed.

"Hey, guys!" Kat said.

Jak, Sly, and Ratchet froze. Kat was wearing a black strapless, pink-laced dress with a white bolero on. She was wearing black flats with pink ribbons, long black gloves and a black ribbon headband with a cat head symbol in the middle on her head, along with fake black cat ears and a cat tail with a bell attached to it. The jewelry was a mix of pink, blue, and white and though not visible she was wearing a white laced garter belt on her left leg. They were stunned by her appearance. Sly was a bit wide-eyed while Jak and Daxter had a nosebleed until they passed out. Ratchet had an internal nosebleed (the redness in his cheeks gave it away) and Clank only stared.

"Wow Kat," Sly said.

"Do you like it?" Kat twirled.

"You look good—I mean awesome—I mean pretty… you look very pretty, Kat." Ratchet stammered.

"Thank you, Ratchet," Kat held her face and blushed.

"Heh, yeah," Ratchet rubbed the back of his head.

ParRappa was wearing his typical prom dress with a red cape, "It looks cool and funky fresh for these old drabs!" he exclaimed.

Spike wanted to see Emmett's costume. Since Emmett's arrival to the academy, the kids (specifically PaRappa and Spike) saw Emmett as a source of reasoning and he believed in "Tough Love". He was dubbed the title "Papa Emmett" by the other adults.

"C'mon Emmett!" Spike exclaimed, "I wanna see your costume!"

"Yeah man. Come on out!" PaRappa added.

"Okay, Okay," Emmett said.

He was wearing a white tuxedo with a black bowtie and a blue fedora. The tuxedo was practically inverted.

"Wow, Emmett! That really does fit you!" Spike said.

"Thanks, Spike," Emmett replied. He always thought of Spike and PaRappa like they were his own.

Fat Princess was waiting for Evil Cole to complement her dress. He had a crush on him, but unfortunately, he didn't feel the same; everyone at the academy knew it. He wasn't impressed as usual.

Nariko was wearing a crimson dress with her hair let down. She didn't like that everyone was staring. It was actually quite rare to see her in a dress, so the guys have to work with her uniform. Some were amazed, aroused, or both. She was apparently staring at Raiden, who wore complete black all over.

Dante howled like a wolf, "Whoa-wee! Riko's looking hot today, ain't she Raiden?"

'Riko' was her nickname made by PaRappa. Raiden sighed then punched Dante in the back of the head.

Polygon-Man and Sir Dan entered the room. Polygon was smiling knowing that his students were having a good time and being creative. Dan found a tuxedo perfect for him and started dancing.

"OK, everyone!" Polygon said, "Now, you know that the party's tomorrow so I just wanted all of you to have as much fun as possible but at the same time don't have _too much_ fun, alright?"

PaRappa was about to say something vulgar to him, but Emmett stopped him.

"Douchebag…" PaRappa murmured.

This was it. Tomorrow night, the night of their lives, a night to share with those close to you, a night to savor, a night to remember. Drake smiled to himself.

* * *

_Preview!_

_Drake: Hey, guys! It's me, Nate Drake! Man this party's gonna be a blast! I can just feel it in my—_

_Cole: Balls?_

_Drake: Yeah, that's right._

_Kat: This is it... me and Ratchet under the moonlight…. just please give me one dance with Ratchet._

_Jak: Don't blow this one, 'kay Ratchet?_

_Ratchet: I won't! Geez…_

_Sly: I don't know, Ratchet. Something tells me this isn't going to end well…_

_Emmett: Just Hope Kat doesn't go too far with this…_

_Nariko: Raiden, I always wanted to tell you—_

_Dante: What're you doing with MY girl?!_

_Raiden: Huh?!_

_Dante: Don't play dumb with me!_

_Raiden: I don't even know what you're talking about_

_Polygon: Next time on the All-Star Academy: The Bad-End-Night!_

_Radec: No, no, no! This is_ _all_ _wrong!_


	11. Bad-End-Night

**_Bad-End-Night_ **

It was early evening. The interior of the building changed dramatically; from blue to black, the academy no longer felt like an academy. Student Council was setting up everything to complete the theme. Radec was walking around the academy with a clipboard, checking if everything was in place. Radec, through the consent of Polygon-Man, also called in some Helghast troops to help with the decorations and to stand guard for any "intruders."

"No! No! NO!" Radec exclaimed, "What do you think you're doing?! The streamers are supposed to hang on the arms of the statue! You can't just throw them anywhere! I'll have you executed for that!"

He was talking to two Helghast troops who were throwing the streamers on the head of the statue, not on the arms. One of them looked down in shame. Radec grunted then smacked himself with the clipboard.

Sly and PaRappa were checking and testing the sound from the DJ system. Sly invited Dimitri and PaRappa invited Lammy to be the heads behind the music, but PaRappa wanted to be the DJ; that was a must.

Kratos and Sweet Tooth were unpacking the food. When they went back for more boxes, however, the boxes they've unpacked would be found opened and the contents would be eaten. The obvious culprit was Fat Princess, what with all the food bits on her face.

"MORTAL CHILD!" Kratos roared, "You filthy swine! You have eaten all the food! Prepare to DIE!"

He pulled out the Blade of Olympus and charged towards Fat Princess. She ran away, but Kratos caught up with her (no surprise here). Little did he know that Sweet Tooth had a hand in the consumption as well…

* * *

Back in the dorms, Sackboy was sitting on the couch, waiting for Drake and Cole to get ready. He was swaying back and forth, kicking his feet. He was smiling, as usual, excited for the party no doubt.

"Hey, Sackboy," Drake called from their room, "you still there?"

Sackboy tapped the side table.

"OK, you're still here."

The door opened and Drake stepped out. He was wearing a dark-grey tuxedo with a brown rose corsage on his left chest. He also was wearing an eyepatch on his right eye and his hair was a bit glossier and unkempt than usual.

Sackboy jumped from the couch and floated up until they were face to face, Sackboy floating above ground (Drake was used to this). His smile was wide opened and pointed at his eyepatch, implying that he liked it.

"Thanks," Drake replied.

He looked back at the bathroom door. Cole was taking an awfully long time to get ready.

"Cole? Look, I know you want to look beautiful—"

"Shut up, Nate," Cole interrupted.

Drake put his hands up, "Well excuse me!"

"Yeah, yeah…" Cole replied opening the door.

He was wearing a dark-blue tuxedo with a blue rose on the left side of his chest. He was holding a fedora.

"What's with the fedora? Going clubbing or something? Emmett must have rubbed off on you, Cole," Drake said, laughing.

"Ha ha… very funny," Cole said, "That was as funny as the gum off my damn shoe. And what's with the eye patch, Nate? Already got sniped?"

Sackboy came in between the two before they fought and pointed to the door. He wanted to leave now. Drake and Cole looked at Sackboy, Drake nudged Cole's arm and Cole nudged his. They turned off the lights to their room and left.

While walking down the stairs Drake noticed something different in Cole. He seemed down, almost empty. Drake couldn't ignore this anymore.

"Hey, Cole. You alright?"

For a moment Cole was unresponsive, but he wasn't ignoring Drake. He was just wandering off, squinting his eyes, a sign of a sad gesture. But now he was fully aware.

"Huh…? Oh!" He replied, turning to Drake. He rubbed the back of his head and chuckled, "Heh, it's all good. Thanks for asking."

 _I'm not stupid, Cole,_ Drake thought, _I know you're upset._

Drake sighed, "Look Cole, what's eating you? I've never seen you look so down before. What's up?"

Sackboy stopped and tugged Cole's hand, he too was concerned. He's never seen Cole so down since when they first met— this was very rare for him.

Cole took a deep breath, "There was a time where I was dating—"

"Oh-ho-ho!" Drake exclaimed, "You had a love in your life? Who was the lucky lady?"

Cole glared at Drake. Sackboy punched Drake's leg; this was not a casual conversation anymore.

"Trish." Cole said, "Her name was Trish."

Drake turned his head the other way and Sackboy looked down. They knew this was a sore subject to talk about. The silence was uncomfortable as well as awkward. Cole just sighed then smiled and continued walking.

"C'mon. Let's just forget about it."

"Cole," Drake said. Cole turned his head to him. Drake stared down, "I'm sorry. Sorry for whatever happened between you and… Trish."

Cole began to walk again, "It's alright. It's not your fault…"

Sackboy caught up with him and held his hand. Cole smiled and gripped it. Drake showed concern for Cole, but he shrugged it off and followed behind.

"Well, Radec," Polygon-Man said, "You always seem to amaze me, but this must be your best work yet!"

Radec adjusted his bowtie and reviewed his notes, "Was there any doubt?"

Everyone was finally here. Polygon stepped up to the stage.

"Hello, everyone!" He exclaimed, "And welcome to the Never After party! Enjoy the food, music, and dancing! Enjoy!"

And so it began. Everyone was dancing, eating, or playing the games available. It was all just random partying.

"OK, everyone!" Dimitri said, "It time for the slooooowwww daaaaaannnncccee…."

He changed the record to a slow, romantic song. It was time for everyone to find a partner.

PaRappa was dancing with Sunny Funny, but Spike was dancing with Little Sister. This was unusual to Emmett, but he just shrugged his shoulders and leaned back on the wall until Dimitri put his hand on his shoulder.

"Hey, man," he said, "I've heard from a friend you got a nice deep voice. 'Mind if you sing the next song?"

Emmett stared at him with disbelief, _How did you…_ then he stared at Spike and PaRappa who winked at him. Emmett was enraged, but he had to stay calm.

He sighed, "Fine."

Sackboy was dancing with Sackgirl. They were possibly the most energetic couple among the dancers. Drake, Cole, Raiden, and Dante were sitting at a table; Drake stared at Sackboy and waved to him. Sackboy and Sackgirl waved back.

"They make a nice pair," Drake said.

"Yeah, I guess they do," Cole continued.

Dante scoffed and looked the other way.

"Meh," Raiden said, drinking.

Dante got up, when he noticed Nariko, sitting alone. She was annoyed as Zeus commanded her to dance with him.

"Watch and learn, guys," Dante said. He left the table.

"Bet you five dollars he's gonna fail," Drake said.

"Why bet? He's going to fail anyways," Raiden said.

Seven minutes later, Dante returned with a red face mark on his left cheek.

"Ohhh…! What a shiner!" Drake exclaimed.

"So Nariko rejected you, huh?" Cole asked.

"Oh, shut up guys!" Dante said, "I'm gonna go get some bandages."

When he left, Nariko got up from her table and approached theirs. Drake and Cole were talking among themselves, making Raiden the only one to notice. Nariko's head was down, trying to hide her blush.

"Hey… Nariko," Raiden said.

"Good evening…" Nariko replied.

It was a moment of awkward silence then Nariko continued.

"So… I was wondering—"

"You want me to dance with you?" Raiden interrupted. He could see right through her, but it beats sitting here watching everyone else dance, "Sure. Why not?"

He took her hand and walked to the dance floor. Drake and Cole were surprised; they would never expect Raiden to dance with Nariko, of all people.

Ratchet was sitting at a table alone, debating on the time was right to dance with Kat. Jak and Sly came and sat with him.

"Whew! That Keira can dance!" Jak said.

Sly only smiled. His dance with Carmelita was fun.

"Yeah, that's great guys…" Ratchet said though he wasn't paying attention.

"Why haven't you danced with Kat, Ratchet?" Sly asked.

"Yeah, Ratchet? Go on, bust a move!" Jak said pushing Ratchet.

"I really want to, but I'm not sure if I'm ready yet," Ratchet said.

Sly put his hand on Ratchet's shoulder, "Look Ratchet. You'll know unless you try. It's now or never."

"I agree," Clank continued.

Ratchet sighed then he took a cup of apple cider and chugged it down quickly. He took a deep breath, "Let's do this."

He came up to Kat and asked if he could dance with her. Of course, she said yes and the both got down on the dance floor.

Dimitri was on the stage, "Our next song is a very special one sung by our very own. I am glad to present Emmett Graves singing _You Are So Beautiful._ Enjoy!"

The kids were clapping and screaming frantically. Radec ordered a Helghast soldier to set the spotlight. It was now on Emmett. A piano was playing as he was singing. Drake and Cole felt a little left out until Polygon-Man spotted them.

"Not that this is important to you or anything, but I believe there are two beautiful young women who would like to dance with you," He explained passing by.

Drake and Cole could not believe who they were. It was Elena Fisher, Drake's wife, and even more surprising, Trish. Drake was surprised but Cole was breaking down in tears. How could this be? It didn't matter; they just wanted to dance with them.

Dante returned with an ice bag on his cheek. "Hey, guys. I'm back."

His table was empty then he tried to look for his friends. He found Drake and Cole dancing, making him feel bad, but what really struck him wasRaiden and Nariko—dancing—together.

"Raiden," Nariko said, "There's something I always wanted to tell you…"

Raiden was about to say something until Dante stormed in.

"RAIDEN!" Dante roared.

Everything stopped. Everyone stopped dancing only to stare at Dante, whose face was red with anger.

"WHAT THE F—K ING HELL YOU DOING?!" Dante bellowed.

"Look, Dante, whatever you think this is it's really not what you think." Raiden knew where this was going.

"Oh, I think I understand!" Dante exclaimed, "All this time you had a think for Riko. DO NOT DENY IT!" He then pointed at Nariko, "And you… you whore-hag!"

Dante then pulled out his pistols and started shooting. "DIE!"

Raiden pushed Nariko to some cover. He was dodging all the shots. Drake and Cole ducked to the floor, covering their heads. Emmett gathered the little ones and led them out the room. During the crossfire, Ratchet got shot in the chest.

"GAHHH!" He screamed in agony.

"Ratchet!" Kat, Jak and Sly exclaimed.

Jak and Sly carried Ratchet out the room with Kat following them, fearing for their lives. Sir Daniel got behind Dante and held him tight but Dante resisted and pushed Dan back, reducing him to a pile of bones. Fat Princess also got shot (Evil Cole pushed her out of his way) and so did Sweet Tooth. Isaac was freaking the crap out under a table. Big Daddy charged at Dante but he was ultimately stopped by Dante's rampant shooting. Radec cloaked himself. Was he escaping? Kratos screamed in agony and anger as he was shot in the leg and Zeus managed to escape. Helghast troopers shot at the enraged Dante, but to their dismay, his wrath was more devastating than they thought. Several troopers died. Polygon-Man was shot in the eye.

Raiden was tired of dodging, "I have no choice… do I?"

He was lunging at Dante with great speed. His agenda was simple: kill him. He's obviously a threat to the school. He charged with his sword in hand and Dante countered with his own sword. Their strengths were equally matched.

"Dante, don't make me do this…" Raiden pleaded.

Dante pushed forward. Raiden had to do it. He had to stab Dante. Before he could carry out his plan, Dante screamed off the top of his lungs. He kneeled on the floor and Raiden was startled when he saw Radec right behind him, knife in hand. Radec put away the knife and pulled out his pistol. He aimed for Dante's head.

"I've been waiting for a long time to do this," Radec exclaimed, "You've been a pain in my side for a long time, Dante. You not only ruined the party, but killed my men as well. I could care less of what Headmaster Polygon has to say about what I am doing." A pause, then he continued, "Death to you, Dante."

He shot Dante in the back of his head. Dante fell to the floor, dead. Raiden could not believe what just happened. He just backed away.

"Death to you… scum," these were Radec's last words. He saluted Dante's corpse then walked away. Radec doesn't hold grudges, but he doesn't let them fly or get even, he gets the full victory.

Raiden stared at Dante then walked out the door. Before he did, Nariko was running towards him, thanking him for saving his life. Raiden only put up his sword to her throat, "Stay the f—k away from me… we never had anything and we never will."

He rudely pushed her as he made his way out. Drake, Cole, and the others surrounded Dante. Some spitted in his direction or made derogatory comments. Polygon-Man rushed to reach Radec, enraged that he killed a fellow student. Emmett made sure that the kids were okay, but he knew for sure that they were scared for life. Kat was screaming and crying, Jak was calling for a medic and Sly was telling Ratchet to keep breathing. Ratchet looked as if he wasn't going to make it.

PaRappa crossed his arms, "Worst. Party. Ever."

"You said it," Spike replied.

* * *

_Preview!_

_Polygon: Hello, all! Now since we gotten all the blood, violence and death out of the way, let's hear about a new cheerful chapter!_

_Nate: Sackboy's getting pissed of at me..._

_Cole: What makes you say that?_

_Nate: He's been at me for something, but I can't remember what..._

_Sackboy: ~Shows the Indie Park brochure~_

_Nate: Oh yeah! I forgot! Sorry..._

_Sackboy: ~Stamps his foot~_

_Cole: So Nate, what kind of crazy stupid idea you have in mind?_

_Nate: C'mon, Cole! Are you really that pessimistic?_

_Cole: No. Just logical. And I have a feeling that bad things are going to happen in the next chapter..._

_Nate: Don't worry! I have a plan!_

_Cole: ~Sigh~ That's what I'm worried the most._

_Nate: Next time on the All-Star Academy: The Great Escape Plan!_

_Sackboy: !_


	12. The Great Escape Plan!

**_The Great Escape Plan!_ **

For a time, the academy was not at its best. Ever since the whole shoot-out spree, named the Deranged Dante Shootings, the academy was at an all-time low. The kids were indifferent about the whole incident; they would just put this behind them and look on ahead, but the adults were affected in the worst of ways. Dante was revived by Polygon-Man, even though most everyone didn't want to see him again. He was given community service along with detention and extra homework. Of course, he hated Polygon-Man as much as he hated Raiden and Nariko, but they hated him too. Speaking of Raiden and Nariko, they never spoke to each other. Nariko wanted to apologize to Raiden, but he would always ignore her or come as close as to threaten her (actually one time he almost cut her in two). Ratchet and the others who were shot were in the infirmary, Ratchet recovering from that gunshot wound in his chest. Jak and Sly were in his room making sure he was all right, while Kat was in her room, praying desperately. Radec was so disappointed on the outcome, he would never talk to anyone again and if they talked to him he'd pull out his pistol, aiming for the head. Dante was brought back by Polygon-Man, but he had to do extra homework and extra hours for community service. He also had a week long detention. All and all, it felt like an endless purgatory for the All-Star Academy.

Cole and Drake opened the door to their room, holding bags of groceries.

"We're home!" Drake exclaimed.

"Hey, Sackboy. I got your favorite: rainbow chocolate chip cookies!" Cole mused.

Despite all the pessimism lingering around, they were still going to cheer up. Sackboy was sitting in the recliner, crossing his arms. For some reason he was angry and the guys just knew something is wrong in the universe when Sackboy was angry or sad.

Drake knelt to Sackboy's level, "Hey, buddy? You OK"

Sackboy turned his head and pouted.

Drake sighed and scratched his head. He turned to Cole for an answer, but Cole shrugged his shoulders. Even he didn't know what was wrong with Sackboy. Sackboy then got off from the recliner and stormed off into his room. Drake and Cole were confused as well as concerned.

"Mortals…" Kratos said, playing the PlayStation 4.

"Oh, hey," Cole said.

"Kratos… didn't see you there," Drake continued.

Kratos just kept playing.

_~The Next Day~_

Sackboy hasn't been talking to Drake or Cole since yesterday. To them, Sackboy was like a bad omen watching them from every corner, plotting their downfall. Last night, neither Drake nor Cole could sleep, knowing that Sackboy was watching them with big, glowing eyes. It was like staring at a ghost. It was gym class and everyone was in the locker rooms, changing uniforms. Cole was slowly putting on his gym uniform and Drake was sleeping on the bench. This worried Delsin, so he came to Cole and put his hand on his shoulder.

"Hey, Cole?" he asked.

When Cole starred at Delsin, he looked like a zombie. Delsin hesitated a bit but continued.

"Hey, are you and Drake alright? You guys look dead—"

"I heard that!" Dan shouted. He took that to an offence.

"Oh, no. We're fine, Delsin. Really," Cole assured.

"You sure?" Delsin asked.

Cole raised a thumb up, "We're good. Don't worry about us."

Delsin raised an eyebrow, but later shrugged it off, "OK… Whatever floats your boat... I guess."

Today's activity was everyone's favorite: dodgeball. Drake and Cole were on one team, but Sackboy was on the other team. This was unusual for everyone because Sackboy generally sided with Drake and Cole every time.

"All right, you pussys!" the coach said, "I wanna see a good, clean fight! Doesn't matter if you like their face or hate their face! You wanna win! I wanna see someone get owned! LET'S GO!"

The coach blew his whistle and threw the ball. Cole lunged for the ball but Sackboy jumped and kicked him in the face. Cole fell to the floor and Sackboy jumped on his head, and then caught the ball and ran. No one has ever seen Sackboy so competitive before. Since when did he become the head honcho? Drake was blocking but Sackboy was like a non-stop bullet train; he rammed Drake with immense speed. Drake fell face-first on the floor and Sackboy slammed the ball on his head. Cole was about to get up, but Sackboy threw another dodgeball at his face. Cole got hit and fell as well. The both of them knew that this was going to be the worst.

After gym class, Drake and Cole were sore from Sackboy kicking their butts. Otherwise, Sackboy owned… hard. They were in the infirmary and were told to rest.

"Damn… this must be the second time in the infirmary…" Drake said.

"Sackboy kicked our asses today… and I don't even know why," Cole replied.

The nurse opened the door with a smile, "Nathan. Cole. Sackboy would like to see you."

"No! No!" Drake exclaimed.

Sackboy already came in anyways with a brochure.

"Ok," Cole said, "I give up. Sackboy, whatever we did we're sorry."

"What did we even do?" Drake asked.

Sackboy showed them the brochure. It was the Indie Park Brochure then he crossed his arms. Drake remembered: The Indie Park Pinky-Promise. He struck his head several times.

"I forgot! The promise! Aww, man… I'm sorry Sackboy." Drake said.

"Seriously? I got my ass kicked just because Drake forgot about the promise?" Cole asked coldly. He glared at Drake and Sackboy. _Why did I get involved in this?_ He thought.

Sackboy looked down. He was only angry, that's all.

Drake looked at Cole with a mischievous smile. Cole knew nothing good will come out of this.

"No way, Drake," Cole responded, "You've pulled me into your crap so many times now. It ain't gonna be today."

"C'mon, Cole. Work with me!" Drake pleaded.

"No, man."

"Please, for Sackboy?"

"No!"

Sackboy frowned, and then Drake frowned. It would only take seconds for Cole to change his mind.

"Uggg… fine!" He crossed his arms, "But I won't like it!"

"Ok! Plan Escape the Academy is now a-go!" Drake exclaimed and put his hand up, straining it. He let out a small cry.

_~Evening Time~_

Cole arrived at the garage as Drake and Sackboy were getting their "secret weapon" ready. He raised an eyebrow as he heard the sounds of construction at work.

"Hey guys," he finally said, "So… uhh… what are you doing?"

Drake stared at the confused conduit, "Creating something…"

"What is this 'something'?" Cole asked, adding literal quotes.

"Well…" said Drake.

He and Sackboy removed the covers from the 'something.' Turns out, it was a two-seated blue bicycle with a steel basket attached to the handle bars.

Cole's left eye twitched, then he sighed, "So what you're telling me is this: you spent the rest of the day planning, then you built a bike?"

"Yeah, pretty good plan if I say so myself," Drake said, rubbing his chest with his knuckles.

Sackboy got in the basket and pretended he was riding a race car.

"Besides, if we use the cars, we have a better chance of getting in deep shit," Drake continued.

Cole was about to say something, but Drake was right unfortunately. If they use a car, they'll get snuffed out by Sir Dan or even worse Headmaster Polygon. Using a bike would be smaller and quieter, less suspicion and a clean getaway.

"Have you come up with the route? Do you even know where you're going, Nate?" Cole asked.

"Leave that to Sackboy," Drake replied, patting Sackboy.

Sackboy got into the steel basket and pulled out a map of the city. He smiled at Cole and in an instance; Cole figured that Sackboy was practically the GPS.

"And…" Drake continued, "Cole, you were a bike courier once, right?"

Cole sighed, "Yes, I was."

"With your biking skills, Sackboy's sense of direction, and my leadership, we'll be heading towards Indie Park in no time!"

Cole looked at Drake with a raised eyebrow then he shrugged his shoulders and got on the bike.

"I don't like this," he said, "but I can't stop you guys. So, yeah, let's get this over with…"

"That's the spirit!" Drake exclaimed, jumping onto the back seat, "The hell we waiting for? Let's go!"

They rode intensely through the night as they left. When they passed Sir Dan at the gate, he was sleeping but then awoke. He looked around, only to see that no one was there. Dan shrugged his shoulders and went back to sleep. Cole was riding so fast that Drake couldn't keep up with him.

"Damn, Cole! Slow down!" Drake yelled.

But Cole just kept speeding. They made sharp turns and hi-speed continues. Sackboy was pointing in different directions and Cole would take that direction. Sackboy was having fun; he had a funny face as his tongue stuck out in the wind. It was nice until a fly flew in his mouth, nearly choking him, but he managed to cough it out.

They came across an intersection where Sackboy told Cole to stop. The light was red, but no cars were crossing. Sackboy was looking both ways, but Cole lost patience.

"Screw it!" he exclaimed, "I'm cutting traffic!"

"Are you f—king crazy?!" Drake replied.

Despite the red light, Cole dashed through traffic anyways, stopping a horde of cars. They almost got run over by a freight truck. Drivers raged and called the guys terrible things, but Cole responded fiercely. They were running through a sidewalk with people.

"Get the hell out of the way!" Drake called.

People scrambled as Cole sped through. No matter what, Cole wasn't going to stop for nothing or nobody. The park was a few blocks away but the bridge, the closest or perhaps the only way to get to the other side of town, was going up.

"Cole, stop!" Drake said as he noticed the bridge going out.

Sackboy was scared now. He closed his eyes.

"Too late for that!" Cole replied.

"You're gonna get us killed!"

"Whose fault is that? It was YOUR idea!"

They were riding up the closed bridge with immense speed. Then they jumped. It looked like something you see in E.T. as they made the jump to the other side. Sackboy opened his eyes, smiled, and waved to the people down below. Drake and Cole were surprised.

"We're gonna make it!" They both said, grinning.

They thought that they would make it, but, oh, how karma's a bitch. They started to go down.

"Or not…!" Drake and Cole shrieked.

Both started to scream and yell.

"Ohhhh craaaapppp!" Drake shouted.

"Mayday! Mayday! We're going down!" Cole cried as he noticed the water below them.

Sackboy covered his eyes but then had an idea. He used his popit, grabbed the bike and carried it above the bridge. He smiled then put it back on the other side.

Cole opened his left eye, "Are we dead yet?"

Drake laughed, "We made it!"

"We did?" Cole asked.

When they noticed the ground and the Indie Park sign in front of them, Drake in a blaze of glory jumped in the air cheering while Cole was kissing the ground. Sackboy was laughing.

"Hell yeah!" Drake exclaimed, fist pumping.

"I take everything back. The ground is good to me!" Cole said, lying on the ground.

They both started dancing until they hugged each other tightly. The celebration ended when they noticed it. Drake and Cole immediately stopped hugging and looked the other way. Weirdest moment ever…

"…Bro hug?" Cole asked.

"Yeah…" Drake replied.

They did a quick hug then Sackboy clapped. The three of them stared at Indie Park. It was huge! The Ticketmaster greeted them and asked if they wanted to go in.

"Hello, sirs! How many people will it be?" He asked cheerfully.

"Me, this guy and this little guy," Drake answered.

"OK, that will be… forty dollars for you two and the little guy goes in free!" the Ticketmaster said.

"Forty freaking dollars!?" Drake exclaimed.

"Don't you have discounts for heroes and treasure hunters?" Cole asked.

"Nope!" The Ticketmaster replied smiling. "Forty dollars or bust!"

"Excuse us…" Drake said, pulling Cole, "Cole you got any money? 'Cause I'm broke as hell."

"You gotta be kidding me, Nate," Cole replied, "I thought you were prepared to pay?"

"I know! I just didn't know it was that expensive!"

They both groaned but Sackboy walked past the both of them and put forty dollars on the counter. The Ticketmaster happily took the money and let them in.

"All righty then! Forty dollars paid in full! Have a great time!" he said.

Drake and Cole were surprised, but Sackboy only starred, implying if they were going to come or not. They both chuckled then held both his hands as they walked into Indie Park together.

* * *

_Preview!_

_Nate: Well, everyone, we finally made it!_

_Sackboy: ~Shakes his pelvis~_

_Polygon: Sackboy! Nathan! Cole! You're all in HUGE trouble!_

_Cole: Crap... I knew we'd get caught._

_Nate: Headmaster! How did you-_

_Polygon: A fellow student told me of your shenanigan!_

_Cole: Meaning someone snitched!_

_Nate: The tattle-tale bastard! Who is he? I'm gonna-_

_Polygon: What you will be doing is spending the rest of the week in detention!_

_Sackboy: ~Gasps~_

_Nate: What the hell?!_

_Cole: Next time on the All-Star Academy: Fun and Trouble: Finding the Tattle-Tale!_

_Polygon: Words cannot describe how angry I am!_


	13. Fun and Trouble: Finding the Tattle-Tale!

**_Fun and Trouble: Finding the Tattle-Tale_ **

The time the three of them spent at Indie Park was the best moments of their lives; Drake, Cole, and Sackboy had so much fun. Drake and Cole got their faces painted, Sackboy got a bucket full of candy, and Cole won a stuffed snake for Sackboy when he tested his strength in the bottle toss (Drake was supposed to win it for him, but he missed; stating that the game was rigged). They ate at the food court, took funny photos from the booth, and finally, they were going to ride the Ferris wheel.

Cole looked up at the Ferris wheel, it looked pretty old up close, "Are they sure this is still safe to ride? It looks kinda rusty…"

"It looks old, but I think it's still safe to ride," Drake replied.

Sackboy tugged at Cole's hand, implying that there's no need to worry.

Cole knelt to Sackboy's level, rubbed his head and smiled, "OK, OK, Sackboy. I'll take your word for it."

"What?" asked Drake, "You don't trust my word?"

"Yes, Nate. I don't," Cole replied plainly.

Drake grunted. They approached the ticket booth and the Ticketmaster asked for their tickets. He was amused by Drake and Cole's painted faces and they gave him their tickets.

"Thank you, sirs! Enjoy the ride!" He called cheerfully.

Another staff member showed them to their ride and explained the safety procedures. Neither Drake nor Cole cared that much… what he was saying was basic common sense. What kind of idiot would disobey the rules of the ride? Sackboy, however, listened to every word the staff member said. The member then closed the door and the wheel started spinning very slow. Sackboy held on tightly to his seatbelt; it made Drake and Cole chuckle.

"It's alright, Sackboy," Drake replied, "You won't fall as long as you have your seatbelt."

Cole looked out the window and down to the floor, "Man, they look like ants down there… I wish Toro was here to see this…"

Sackboy's entire face was against the window, staring at the outside world. He's really never seen the world from a perspective such as this. Sure, he's seen amazing things, but gazing at the setting sun high above the ground with two of your favorite people in the whole world? Now, that's just a one in a lifetime opportunity. It warmed up Drake's heart a bit to see Sackboy even happier than he usually is and he's the reason why. He was also glad to see Cole happy, too. Truthfully, there were not a lot of things that made Cole MacGrath happy, but for him, seeing Sackboy (and surprisingly himself) happy was all he needed to make at least his life count for something. There were other things that made him happy, such as his best friend Zeke Dunbar, Nix and Quo, Toro (they had some history together) and some others he knew back at home, but Drake and Sackboy were the next best thing. This also benefitted Drake too. Like Cole, he and Sackboy were like Drake's "home away from home." The time they spent on the Ferris wheel made them realize how close they became as friends.

After the ride, Drake, Cole, and Sackboy were sitting on the pier, watching the sun. Sackboy was eating cotton candy.

"It sure is nice," Cole said.

"Yeah," Drake responded, "I guess it is."

Sackboy then saw a man selling cotton candy and ran towards him with great speed. What Drake just noticed was that Sackboy was holding his wallet in his hand.

"Hey! Sackboy!" Drake exclaimed, "Damn… he took my wallet and I didn't see it coming."

"Well, Nate, at least he's learning something from you," Cole joked.

"Ha ha… shut the hell up, Cole," Drake gritted.

Sackboy bought a large, pink stick of cotton candy and when he gave back Drake's wallet, Drake quickly opened it to check just how much Sackboy paid for the cotton candy. He lost twenty-four dollars on a sugary snack…

 _Shit..._ Drake thought as he stared into the empty crevice of his wallet.

Sackboy came up to Drake and Cole and offered them some of his cotton candy. Drake politely (to the best of his ability) said no while Cole was more than happy to take some. Sackboy sat between the two of them and smiled as the sun settled; Drake and Cole smiled as well.

 _Life is good…_ Drake thought, looking at the photo booth pictures, _Just too good…_

* * *

_~FOUR DAYS_ _LATER~_

* * *

 

To think it was that long since they went to Indie Park, the three of them couldn't believe that no one has caught them… until now.

Sackboy and Drake were in history class, studying about the PlayStation 2 until the intercom rang. It was Polygon-Man and, by the sound of his voice, he didn't sound happy.

" _Sackboy and Nathan Drake! To my office! NOW!"_ It was so loud that the students could feel a small earthquake.

Sackboy was scared, he held his arms tightly. Never has Polygon called out his name in that nature. Usually, when he was called to Polygon's office, it was for a good reason or a special occasion.

Drake shuddered quietly, _Shit… they found us out! But how?!_

The teacher excused them both. While leaving, Drake noticed Dante, smiling and crossing his arms. He seemed to think that Drake and Sackboy finally got in trouble.

 _Asshole…_ Drake thought when leaving.

They took the elevator to the top floor. Drake noticed that Sackboy was holding his stomach as if he was about to throw up.

"Sackboy?" Drake asked.

Sackboy looked up at the fortune hunter and nodded.

"It's okay. We'll be fine, I promise you." He hugged Sackboy, hoping it would make him feel better.

Sackboy hugged back, but his face was still the same expression—fear and anxiety.

They were in front of the headmaster's door. Sackboy's fear was fueled even more once they gazed at the blue office door. Polygon-Man's office—his sanctuary, throne room, the school's court room—just a few of the names given to his office.

Drake gulped, "Well, Sackboy… this is it." Before he opened the door, he knelt to Sackboy's level, "Whatever happens, we'll be fine. Just… don't worry."

Sackboy was still sad but he showed a small smiled and nodded. He trusted Drake. And so, Drake clenched his sweaty hands on the golden doorknob and turned it. The door slowly opened.

"Headmaster?" Drake asked in a small voice.

Polygon was sipping tea, "Come. Sit."

The room seemed darker than when Drake first arrived. He and Sackboy noticed Cole sitting in one of the chairs, looking down. Sackboy and Drake sat in the chairs next to Cole and suddenly the curtains came down, covering the windows. A single lamp light turned on and Polygon's eyes were glowing, like little balls of fire.

"Now, do not be afraid. I just want the truth." Just Polygon-Man saying that scared the crap out of the three of them.

"Answer this: Did you leave campus grounds without permission?"

He leaned in on the three students. Cole's heart was beating faster than usual and, due to the silence, everyone could hear his pulse. Sackboy was about to cry. Drake took a deep breath. Despite the pressure the headmaster was trying to pin on them, he was going to stay calm and be sly with his words.

"Headmaster," he said calmly, "we just needed to get some quick groceries that day. I am terribly sorry for not telling you in advance. It will never happen again."

"Nathan," Polygon said, raising an eyebrow, "do you take me for a bumbling buffoon? Do I look like an idiot to you?" He said this with so much sarcasm that Drake almost crapped in his pants.

Polygon backed away from them, his eyes in the shadows, "I will ask you this one more time. Did you leave the academy without permission?"

He asked in a calm but irritated voice. Cole looked at Drake, waiting for an answer but Drake kept quiet, licking his lips and breathing heavily. Cole's eyes showed concern and kept swallowing the shame he felt. It only took a couple minutes until Sackboy cracked. He couldn't take it anymore—Polygon cold stare got the best of him. He nodded profusely, admitting that they left the academy without telling him and caused some ruckus around town. Sackboy's isn't a person who would lie; he wouldn't lie if his life depended on it. Even though he told the truth, he also took the blame. He claimed it was _his_ idea, _not_ Drake's and explained that he should be punished and let Drake and Cole go free. He dragged them into his goal to reach Indie Park; they don't deserve this.

Drake and Cole were stunned. They were amazed by how mature Sackboy truly is. He was willing to take the fall. Polygon, however, saw it coming. He figured one of them would break and tell the truth and if that didn't work, he had _other_ ways of making them talk.

"Well then!" He said cheerfully, "Since someone finally admitted the truth, for you, Sackboy, I'll give you… huh… whatever shall your punishment be? Hmmmm… Ah! I got it! How about two months detention?"

Sackboy accepted with a serious face. Drake couldn't take this. He can't—no, _won't_ —let Sackboy suffer alone. He already had a guilty conscience; he didn't want to add more guilt.

"Wait!" He exclaimed, "I want detention, too! And I don't give a damn how long! Besides, it really was _my_ idea to leave the academy. So, if you're gonna punish Sackboy, you better damn well punish me as well!"

Polygon now was bewildered. No one at the school would dare vouch for a student, especially one being punished. He smiled and wrote Drake's name down along with Sackboy's.

"Very well…" was his response. Polygon then looked at Cole, "Do you wish to vouch for Sackboy too, Mr. MacGrath?"

Cole looked at Drake and Sackboy. To an extent, it wasn't his fault, but he also had a hand in the escape plan and did cause some havoc when they were riding through town. He was silent for a few moments then he took a deep breath.

"Yes." He simply said, "Put me along with them."

Yet again, the headmaster was short beyond words. He stared at the three of them with curious, unbelievable eyes. He could not believe how close the "troublesome trio" has become. They'll go so far as to go down together.

 _If one falls, they all fall, I suppose,_ Polygon thought as he wrote Cole's name down.

He gave them all detention slips and warned them that if this happens again, they'll wish they had detention the second time around.

"Leave my office." He concluded.

Cole, Sackboy, and Drake left his office, but before he left Drake was still at the door.

"You're still here?" Polygon asked, irritated.

"Uhh… yeah… actually, I wanted to ask you something, Polygon," Drake replied, "Just my curiosity, but how did you know?"

"About what?"

"The escape plan?"

Polygon was silent for a few seconds, "Oh… a student claimed he saw and heard about your plans."

Drake's eyes were wide open, but stayed calm and asked, "Who was it?"

"I can't tell you," Polygon replied, "This person has asked me to keep their identity anonymous."

Drake nodded, "Okay. Thank you."

He closed the door and wandered off in thought. _Someone snitched? Who? Who's the bastard who told on us? Was it Sly? Dante? How did they even…_

He was interrupted by Cole and Sackboy calling his name. He caught up with them, but he still thought to himself.

 _I gotta know…_ he declared, _I gotta know who did it; and why they did it._

And thus, they walked off in the halls and back to their classes and back to their classes.

* * *

_Preview!_

_Nate: Hey guys! Nate Drake again here to say that we're on the case!_

_Cole: The case of what? The Snitch?_

_Nate: We got a caper to solve, my dear Cole! We just can't let this person get away with this!_

_Cole: And how do you expect us to find them? Anyone can be a suspect you know..._

_Nate: We'll find a way... we always do!_

_Cole: What about PM?_

_Nate: Polygon-Man can go and suck a-_

_Cole: Nate! There are children reading this you know (and Sackboy's here too!)!_

_Sackboy: ~Grabs a magnifying glass and looks through it~_

_Nate: Sorry and it's settled! Detective Nate and Co. are on the case to find the snitch bitch!_

_Cole: Wait... what?_

_Nate: Next time on The All-Star Academy: Detective Drake and Co. Busts the Snitch!_

_Snitch: YOU'LL NEVER UNCOVER ME! MUAHAHAHA!_

_Nate: Hey! Get back here!_


	14. Drake Busts The Snitch!

**_Drake Busts The Snitch!_ **

"Day four… I think…" Cole said, carving a tally mark with his amp.

It's really been a grueling twenty-nine hours of isolation for the three of them in the detention hall. Cole's eyes were bloodshot and apparently growing bags and Drake grew more of a visible 5'o clock shadow. Sackboy was normal, even smiling. He was only wagging his head and playing with a rubrics cube… at least he had something to do while being punished.

Cole looked back to where Drake was sitting, "I hate you, Nate."

"I love you too, Cole," Drake replied sarcastically.

Drake was appeared to be writing something on his desk. When Cole took a closer look, they were names of various students enrolled at the academy. Some names were circled while other names were crossed out.

"Whatcha got there?" Cole asked.

"Polygon-Man said something about someone telling on us; I'm trying to find out who done it. It's gotta be one of them…"

"Look Nate, even if you find whoever found us out it's pointless now."

"I know, but I just want to know who did it," Drake tugged at Cole's arm, "C'mon Cole. I know you want to at least get back at them."

Cole sighed, pulled up a chair, and sat across Drake, "Where did you get these anyways?"

"Sly gave them to me, but damn… for a hefty price…"

"Wait… you and Sly actually became friends?"

"Well… yes and no. Think of us as… frienemies."

Cole stayed silent and Sackboy came up to them and offered them the rubrics cube, considering he had completed it. They both declined, so Sackboy decided sat with them. He took Drake's finger, implying he was sorry.

"It's fine, Sackboy. You did what you thought was right." Cole said.

Sackboy smiled. And so for the next four to five hours, the three would pick who they thought would tell. After constant arguing and disagreements, they finally came up with a list.

"Ok," Drake said, "so here's who we got: Kratos, Radec, Heihachi, and Sly."

"I don't agree with the list. Some of them shouldn't be there, but you never know," Cole said.

"Now, how are we going to get out of here undetected?" Drake asked. He pondered aimlessly.

Sackboy looked around then pointed at the air vents.

"Sackboy," said Cole, "That's a terrible—"

"That's a great idea, Sackboy! Why didn't I think of that?" Drake interrupted.

"Yeah, but what if PM finds out that we're not there?" Cole asked.

Sackboy used his Popit and grabbed Cole. "Put me down, Sackboy!" Cole said, but Sackboy copied Cole and put the copy in the chair. The copy acted like Cole.

"Well, that answers that." Drake said, "I'm next!"

Sackboy copied Drake then himself. Now was the time to escape. Cole used his powers to open the vent. Drake went in first (this wasn't the first time he had to escape through a ventilation shaft), Sackboy went in second, and Cole trailed in last. It was damp and disgusting—dead cockroaches, dust bunnies, icky neon slime—they wanted to get out fast.

"Nate, where are we?" Cole asked.

Drake peeked through a vent, "One of the hallways. C'mon, keep moving."

Suddenly Drake bumped heads with Sly Cooper.

"Gahhh! Damnit, that hurts!" Drake exclaimed.

"You and me both, Pal," Sly grunted.

The heavy weight in the shafts couldn't hold all of them. Sly and Drake fell through the ceiling, with Cole and Sackboy following. There was an ugly hole in the ceiling, but luckily Sackboy was able to fix it.

"Why were you in the vents, Sly?" Drake asked.

"Same to you. In fact, shouldn't you be in detention?" Sly asked.

Drake didn't know how to answer that.

"Sly," Cole asked, "would you, by any chance, know who the snitch is?"

"Snitch? What snitch? I know no snitch," Sly said.

Sackboy came up to Sly and gave him about 20 gold coins. Sackboy knew Sly was susceptible to bribes.

"OK," Sly said, "I'll tell you. First off, it wasn't me and I'm being honest."

"And…?" Drake asked.

"What? My memory's gone black…"

Sackboy then gave Sly a bag of gold coins.

"Hmmm… wait… it's coming back to me… Ah! I think Radec had something to do with it. After all, he is a part of the Disciplinary Committee."

They got a lead now: Radec is the leader of the disciplinary Committee. The Disciplinary Committee was a branch of the Student Council and it was lowly respected but highly ranked club at the academy. Come to think of it Drake has never even heard of the Disciplinary Committee, before. Cole always referred to it as a myth to scare the students to do well, but Sackboy knew the Committee was real.

"You wouldn't be a part of the Disciplinary Committee, would you Sly?" Cole asked.

"What? No. Do you think _I_ would join those guys?" Sly said.

"Good point," Cole murmured.

"Good luck finding the Snitch," Sly said as he vanished.

"I'm never gonna get used to that," Drake said.

"Hey! Who's that?!" A voice called.

It was Sir Daniel, alert as ever, scouting the hallways. He was supposed to guard the detention hall, but he was distracted by PaRappa's skateboarding and had to chase him down the entire floor and give him a long and boring lecture. He also confiscated PaRappa's skateboard, stating it was "dangerous." Now he was on the move, finding Drake and the others.

"Oh crap! He's coming this way!" Drake exclaimed.

"Quick! Into that classroom!" Cole replied.

Cole briskly pushed Drake and Sackboy into the empty classroom and closed the door. Sir Daniel appeared, only to be greeted by silence.

"Huh? But I could have sworn…?" He scratched his head in confusion. He knew he heard Drake and Co. talking, but he assumed it was his head playing tricks on him… again.

Sir Daniel sighed, "I need to get more sleep…"

Cole and Drake were under the door. Sackboy was about to "peep" until both Cole and Drake covered his mouth.

"The things I do for you guys…" Cole whispered.

Drake checked over the door, "We're in the clear, now."

They slowly opened the door and ran the other way. Now it was time to find Radec.

"Now," Drake said, "if I were a Helghan colonel, where would I go?" Drake asked himself.

"Maybe in one of the offices?" Cole asked.

"No, no," Drake denied, "Radec's _way_ to cunning for that. He'd be hiding in some place elaborate…"

"A place where nobody could disturb him," Cole continued.

While the two of them were in deep thinking, Sackboy was looking a menacing-looking door with the words "DO NOT DISTURB!" hanging on the doorknob. On the window was the initials "DC," hence above the door said "Disciplinary Committee." He was signaling Drake and Cole that he found it but the two were still pondering over the places it could be. Sackboy kept pulling on Drake and Cole's pants.

"Stop it, Sackboy!" Drake said, "We're trying to figure out where Radec could be."

Sackboy facepalmed himself, sighed then pulled out his Popit. He took out a big and flashy sign and placed it right next to the door.

"Oh, there it is," Cole said.

"I'd know we'd find it," Drake said, grinning.

Sackboy just put his head down and nodded.

"OK, let's knock," Drake asked.

"Yeah… you do that," Cole said. Cole and Sackboy were hiding behind a curtain, shaking.

"C'mon," Drake said, "don't tell me you're scared."

"You don't know Radec like we do, Nate," Cole answered.

Put the pieces together, Drake: Radec is one of the scariest students at school, _he_ runs the Disciplinary Committee, and _he's_ president of Student Council.

"Crap… your right," Drake replied.

"You see why we're hiding?" Cole said.

Drake took a deep breath and slowly knocked on the door and what would you know? It was Sir Daniel! Daniel freaked out by seeing Drake and Co.

"What is it, Daniel?" Radec called from behind.

There he was, Colonel Mael Radec, confronting PaRappa. He wasn't happy to see Drake and Co., but regardless he let them in. Sir Daniel questioned him but Radec's response was:

"You _dare_ question my motives? I'll grind your bones to dust!"

Sir Daniel Immediately backed off. No wonder everybody denied the existence of the Disciplinary Committee.

Drake nervously laughed, "Uhhh… hi—"

"Come, sit and state your business," Radec said bluntly.

Drake signaled Cole and Sackboy to come in. They hesitated but they followed. Radec sat down and formed the triangle of evil with his fingers.

"'Sup?" PaRappa greeted.

"So," Radec asked calmly, "what brings you here? I'd heard you should be in detention."

"Well yeah… you see—" Drake said, but Radec seemed to be looking for something within his desk.

"Hmm… oh yes. Nathan Drake, Cole MacGrath, and Sackboy. Two months detention for… leaving campus grounds without permission," Radec continued, "I can understand you and Cole, Mr. Drake, but Sackboy?" He stared at Sackboy and nodded, "I expected better."

And like that, Sackboy was discouraged.

They knew Radec was smart and cruel, but they never thought he was _this_ smart and cruel. Polygon-Man must have given Radec not only their known trouble-making record but maybe he had _ALL_ the records of known trouble in the academy.

"Now I know you're here to find out who found you out," Radec said.

"Uhh… can I leave now?" PaRappa asked. Radec pulled out his knife and drew it in PaRappa's nose, "shutting up…"

"But," Radec said, "I could be of assistance to you."

"Great!" but then Drake's enthusiasm disappeared, "Wait… you want something in return don't you?"

"You saw right through me, but if you don't want to do it, I can always tell the Headmaster—"

"No!" Cole interrupted, "no, no. What do you want, Radec."

Radec simply continued his triangle of evil. Something told them they weren't going to like this…

* * *

_Preview!_

_Polygon-Man: On the next All-Star Acad—_

_Haruki-Kun: Sorry PM but I'll need to stop you there!_

_Polygon-Man: What now?_

_Haruki-Kun: Just gotta tell everyone reading this that we are coming to the end of the All-Star Academy.~Sighs~_ _(▰˘︹˘▰)_

_All: WHAT!?_

_Haruki-Kun: Yes, it's true, but don't worry. I'll end somewhere around chapter 15-20. Wherever that is.(⌣_⌣")_

_Nate: The end of the All-Star Academy..._

_Cole: Good things can't last forever..._

_Sackboy: ~Cries~_

_Haruki-Kun: That and we won't be continuing Tall Tales. Sorry... But! I might start a new Playstation All-Stars story, named **A Team of Rivals**.(ﾉ≧∀≦)ﾉ_

_All: Ooooooo..._

_Kat: What's **A Team of** **Rivals** going to be about?_

_Haruki-Kun: Can't tell you, but it was an old project I dropped a long time ago for the All-Star Academy. I've always wanted to make my story mode, but it seems the archive got that covered... but still! Take some chances! You never know!ヾ( ^▽^ )ノ_

_Clank: Interesting..._

_Haruki-Kun: Ok, so the next chapter is going involve Drake and Co. still finding the snitch but all I can tell you is that Kratos is going to get tied up and slapped on the next chapter.(*ﾟ▽ﾟ*)_

_Polygon-Man: Awww... I was going to say that._

_Kratos: What?! MORTAL!_

_Haruki-Kun: Don't "Mortal!" me, Kratos! Next time on the All-Star Academy: Radec's Request... Gotcha!( ^O^ )_

_Kratos: I already do not like the next chapter!_


End file.
